


To the Stars and Back

by petyrbaaaeeelish



Series: To the Stars and Back/ To the Moon and Back [1]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space, Angst and Feels, Artificial Intelligence, Drama, F/M, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Smut, Suspense, expect the unexpected, space adventures, star crossed lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-04-17 08:48:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 24
Words: 83,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14185284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petyrbaaaeeelish/pseuds/petyrbaaaeeelish
Summary: Sansa Stark see’s outer space in all its infinite beauty, but when her Captain calls her in one morning to join an exploration party she finally learns the meaning of fear. Whatever is out there, Sansa is certain they nicknamed that fiery red planet “The Devil’s Claw” for a reason, and she is terrified for what waits for her down below.





	1. Death Warrant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa Stark see’s outer space in all its infinite beauty, but when her Captain calls her in one morning to join an exploration party she finally learns the meaning of fear. Whatever is out there, Sansa is certain they nicknamed that fiery red planet “The Devil’s Claw” for a reason, and she is terrified for what waits for her down below.

“Computer, play me Man on the Moon by R.E.M.”

“Playing requested song,” said the automated voice, before the song blasted through unseen speakers overhead.

“Computer, open window panels. I want to see outside.”

My bedroom wall eased its way open, sliding back until the glass windows were revealed. I stepped closer and looked at the scenery with a wide-eyed expression. Will I ever get tired of this? A swirling cloud of red could be seen in deep space, blending in with a deep royal blue; a myriad of silver stars stretched out across the black expansiveness of space.

“Computer, how do you define beautiful?”

“Number one: Having qualities of beauty and is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Number two: Generally pleasing to-”

“No, that’s not good enough,” I interjected. “If you could just see this view!” I pressed my hand against the glass and marvelled at the infinite space in front of me.

“Computer, do you have any feelings? Can you feel emotions?”

“AW3-5000 is not programmed to exhibit human traits, such as human emotion. I am programmed with your logic and need for excellency, however.”

“So, you can’t look out the window and feel what I am feeling?”

“AW3 does not-”

“Yeah, I heard you the first time,” I cut in. _I should get ready for work._ “Computer, what time is it?”

“Would you like it in Earth time or-”

“The same as usual,” I interrupted. _Even if the Earth is long gone and is nothing but dust now._

“It is 7:47 A.M. You have exactly one hour and thirteen minutes until you start your shift.”

I let out a long sigh, wishing I didn’t have to start the day just yet. “Alright, computer, put on anti-gravity for my room only.”

“I am programmed to advise you to get ready for work, it is illogical to flood your room with anti-gravity-”

“It’s called procrastination, another human trait you wouldn’t understand. Floating around my room aimlessly gives me pleasure, and its probably the only excitement I’ll have for the rest of the day.”

A buzzing sound rang through my speakers. I grunted before I called out, “Computer, who is calling me at this time of morning?”

“Captain Davos.”

“I’ll accept his call. Put him through speaker.”

“Sansa,” his deep rugged voice rang throughout the room. “I’m glad you’re awake. You need to come and see this.”

“What is it?”

“I want you to see for yourself. Meet me on the Observation Deck in twenty minutes. Captain, out.”

* * *

The Captain’s back was to me when I finally approached; he was in an all black vesture with golden details along his collar and cuff. His hands were interlaced together behind his back, as he coolly looked out the window. “Your late,” he pointed out, once he heard his office doors slide behind me.

“You weren’t at the Observation Deck, sir.”

“No. I wanted to talk in private.” He tilted his head a bit without looking at me. “Come here, Sansa.”

I stood next to his side and only then noticed the glowing red planet beneath our ship. “Is that…” the last of my breath left my lungs, as I looked at the pernicious orange gases swirling around the planet’s surface.

“The Devil’s Claw, that’s what they call it. Although the scientific term for it is Plegethon.”

“That’s a Greek word,” I noted, an advantage when you had a classical history education. _I knew it would come in handy one day._ “Isn’t it one of the five rivers of Hades?”

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask the computer that.”

“Computer, is Ple-”

“Another time though,” my Captain interjected. “What I have to say is more important.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve been instructed to send a team down there to explore the planet’s surface?”

“But the heat… the wind storms…” I paused to look down at the planet with a fearful expression. “You might as well sign our death warrants.”

“Now, now, Sansa,” he chided, finally tilting his body in my direction. “Don’t get sassy with me.”

“My apologies, sir.”

“Apology accepted.” He let his hands fall to his sides, before he clapped them together to turn the lights on in his room. “Computer, put on visual 150.”

“This visual is classified. I will need the password to unlock the document.”

“The Fish-Onion Knight,” he said with mirth, and for the first time since our entire acquaintance I saw him smile.

“Document will appear in five seconds.”

“Have a seat, Sansa.”

“5-4-3-2-1. Images displayed for exploration of Planet Plegethon.”

“Show me Vice Admiral Tailsmen video.”

A video appeared before our eyes from a hidden projector. Vice Admiral was a rather young-looking woman, her dark skin was impeccably smooth, and her eyes were a soft brown. The longer I looked into her eyes I felt I could trust her, something I couldn’t say about my captain who stood next to my chair with his arms tightly crossed.

“Hello, my name is Adrienne Tailsman, and I have the privilege of telling you our unit has made a scientific discovery that can change the course of human exploration forever. We have created space suits that can withstand tremendous amount of heat and harsh weather that inhabit many of the planets in this solar system. We would like you to test these suits on several unknown planets- ones that are safe for exploration and will pose no real harm to our Vasken explorers. Captain Davos, you are one of the fortunate few who will lead an exploration to the planet, Plegethon. We have noticed an inexplicable change in the planet’s atmosphere over the past five years, as if someone or something is tampering with the atmosphere to make it more habitual for humans. We are aware human explorers have contacted this planet before, but none of them have lived to tell the tale about it. Still, if the temperature continues to drop on Plegethon than we may have the means to introduce another outpost for human colonization in this solar system.”

“As if we don’t have enough!” Captain Davos shot in. “We’re practically _invading_ space.”

“We understand your concern for the safety of your crew. We acknowledge that all who have gone down to the planet’s surface have never returned, but we believe in the future of Vasken. We believe we may have found the solution to all our problems. Plegethon is the key to the future of our human race. I’m sure you’ll make us all proud.”

“What human race?” my Captain asked, the moment the video vanished into thin air. “We should have died a long time ago.”

“But we didn’t! We survived.”

“Aye, we survived. Look what we turned into… mutated beasts. Half of my crew are half or fully Artificial Intelligence. Say you and I, of course. What will happen when we die away? We’re not immortal like them! Soon these planets will be invaded by these hybrid beings, and then what will become of us?” He waved his hands in the air with disdain. “No matter, I know you’re one of those A.I. sympathetic’s, so there’s no point talking to you.”

He strode over to his desk and slammed the palm of his hand on the table before he bellowed, “Computer! Show me the team that will go down to the planet’s surface.”

A visual appeared with a row of faces all lined up in perfect order according to their rank and station in Vasken, I was at the very bottom. “As you can see most of them are A.I.’s, only five of you are fully human. I’m not exactly sure of Tyrion Lannister counts.”

I ignored his insolent comment and made sure to roll my eyes when he wasn’t looking. “There’s your half-brother, Jon Snow. Gendry, military arms just in case you guys encounter some problems down below. Jeyne Pool, our linguistic specialist, just in case you find something interesting-”

“Like aliens?” I interrupted.

“No one uses that term anymore. That is so… twenty-third century.”

“I’m a historian,” I explained. “I’m sorry if I’m not caught up with the times.”

“There’s that sharp tongue again. You know, one day you’re going to meet someone sharper than you and then you’ll know how it feels.”

I raised my eyebrow in defiance, he in turn stared me down till I was unable to meet his gaze. “I’m sending you on the ground to be a human civilization historian. Let me know if you see any traces of human contact on the planet and approximate the time they made contact there. Every ship that has ever been pulled into the planet’s atmosphere has never made it out alive, and I want to know _why._ ”

Captain Davos moved around his desk and pointed at that great ball of fire hovering in deep space. “See that mark there! The one that looks like a giant hand ready to pull you out of the sky. They call it the Devil’s Claw for a reason.” He turned to face me, his figure a dark silhouette against the orange glow behind him. “We will orbit around the planet for 10 days. After that, you are on your own. Explore the surface and report back your findings. I know this is your first trip so listen to the others, especially the A.I.’s. I may not like them, but they have all the necessary information to keep your crew alive. Without them, you’re as good as dead.”

He put his hands over his hips and looked at me with a dead-pan expression. “And another thing… whatever you find down there report back to me as soon as you can, even if it’s the _devil_ himself. Your shuttle will be ready in 1300 hours. Good luck, Sansa Stark.” My Captain held out his hand for me to shake, once my hand was placed in his own, he murmured, “You’re going to need it.”

 


	2. An Upgrade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa is offered a chance to "upgrade" herself before she embarks the shuttle that will take her to the planet, Plegethon. Although, the offer is tempting, Sansa senses there is something more sinister involved in the procedure, and her brief encounter with "Synthwave Computer" confirms it.

“See that wire hanging down over there? The one that looks like a noose. I have half a mind to hang myself,” Tyrion gibed, his hazel eyes brightened at the prospect of it. “It will be better than what we are about to face down there.”

“That’s if you can reach it,” Gendry teased, as he pushed his blue paneled laser gun into his holster.

“Why do you always have to be such an ass hole?” I cut in. He looked up to see me on the top step and smirked at me. “Well, I didn’t know you were coming?”

I grunted at him and descended the black steps, the shiny glazed surface was absolutely spotless beneath my feet, it reminded me of where I was- the Hover Deck changeroom. In less than an hour we would be fully dressed and ready to board the private shuttle, Marvell, down to the planet’s surface.

“It’s good to see you again, Sansa,” Tyrion said, a pleasant smile graced his face. “I’m glad you’ll be there with me.”

“Will you relax? We’ll be fine,” Gendry grumbled. He picked up his all black helmet and stuffed it underneath his armpit.

“You really think so?” I asked with disbelief. “We’d be lucky if our shuttle doesn’t burn up in flames once we pass the planet’s atmosphere.”

“And burn up into a great ball of fire,” Tyrion added. “Oh yes, that noose is really tempting right now.”

“Get dressed,” interrupted an A.I. as she appeared from out of a capsule along the wall. _There is so many of them,_ I realized, as I noticed the rows of white capsules lined up along the changeroom walls.

“We are,” Gendry spat out. “See, I’m almost finished.”

“Doctor Tyrion, you are not dressed,” the android replied. She turned to me without blinking and added, “Neither are you Sansa Stark.”

“I had to go for an examination. I’m all clear.”

“Get dressed,” she ordered, as if she didn’t hear a word I said. She had all the appearance of a human, but those eyes were so unsettling. It was like she was staring through me, never blinking, just a constant ray of light directed at my physiognomy. _What is she thinking,_ I wondered, as her gaze continued to fixate on me. “Get dressed,” she repeated, before she turned away from me and returned to her capsule.

Once the seal was shut, Gendry waved his hands in the air and said, “Creeepppyyy!” His voice reminded me of one of those 1950s horror flicks with Vincent Price.

“Very funny,” Tyrion remarked. He slipped off his trousers and added, “But you’d be a fool to anger them.”

“What are you talking about? I flip off my android all the time and I never hear a word of complaint. She’d make the perfect wife.”

“Maybe you ought to marry her, cause no woman could stand you.” I scampered off to the women’s changeroom before he even had time to reply.

* * *

“Welcome to Synthware Changeroom,” a woman’s voice said from the automated speakers. “Before you get dressed, would you like an upgrade?”

“How so?”

“We noticed that you are a little… behind the times,” The computer replied, it didn’t feel right whenever it used modern human lingo. _It should just stick to the robot voice,_ I mused. “Would you like an upgrade?” it continued. “Perhaps, superzoom contact lens.”

“So, my death will be magnified? No thanks.”

“Implants into your brain to speed up-”

“Nope.”

“Magnets applied to your-”

“Just put on my space suit, will yah?” I said with impatience. “I’m fine the way I am.”

The lights flickered around the changeroom when the computer said, “Synthware disagrees.”

“What!” I yelled, once the lights returned to normal. “What did you just say?”

“We apologize for the error. Would you like us to put on your space suit now?”

“Yeah, whatever.” _I just want to get out of here._ “Make it quick.”

“Please step onto the platform.” I stepped onto the spotless surface and spread my arms apart so the machine could fit my space suit on me piece by piece. Multiple mechanical arms above me hovered over my slender frame, before it slammed the space suit onto me with tremendous force.

“It is complete,” the computer observed, as I staggered off of the platform, slightly bruised by the indelicate procedure. “You may now join the rest of the crew on platform S.” I picked up my helmet that suddenly appeared on the platform and sprinted out of the room as fast as I could.

“Jeyne?” I asked, once I passed the changeroom entrance, it seemed Jeyne was next in line to get changed. “Why are you taller than me?”

“New implants,” she blurted out. “See, its mechanical. The computer broke my legs and reconstructed them with new advancements. Now, I’m taller, faster and stronger than ever before.”

“But you’re a linguistic. You don’t need all that.”

“Oh, I’ve had them _update_ my brain too. I’m new and improved.” She giggled at the thought of it. “You should get it too,” she cooed, as she rubbed her hand over my shoulder. “Before you get all old and wrinkly. Think of it, Sansa, we could live forever!”

She winked at me before she walked into the changeroom, she was probably more than willing to get another advancement from that accursed Synthwave computer.

* * *

 “Sansa Stark, nice of you to join us.” I turned to see a towering man beside me. The way he stretched out his hand towards me, the slow awkwardness as he leveled it at my chest for me to shake told me he was another android; the coldness of his hand as I placed it in his confirmed it. “My name is Captain Harver, I will be leading this expedition. There is an assigned seat for you over there, right next to Jeyne Pool.”

“Thank you,” I said in a meek voice, and offered him a fake smile. He had the air of a military operative with his buzz cut hair and cold sable eyes, but the manners of a gentlemen. It was complexing, but the multiple weapons attached to his hip confirmed his true operatives. “Do you expect will run to any trouble down below? You looked like you’re fully armed for war.”

“A necessary precaution,” it confirmed, and there it was again- that unsettling gaze.

“I’m just going to sit down now,” I stammered, and fled to my seat.

“San-San,” Jon teased, from the other side of the room, his seat was at the rear of the ship where the rest of the engineers were.

“I told you to stop calling me that!”

“I know,” he jeered, and shot me a playful grin.

“Did you get an _upgrade_ as well?” I asked, once I took note of the A.I.’s on either side of him.

“No. You know how much father despises technology.”

“Yeah,” I laughed, and smiled at the remembrance of it.

“He almost killed me when I got a Direwolf tattoo, can you imagine if I I got a mechanical implant.”

“He’s such a conservative.”

“How are you even related?” He asked. “When you’re all loose and fancy?”

“Loose and fancy?” I laughed. “Its called being a free-spirit, Jon! And don’t worry I have some self-control.”

“Then why aren’t you getting updated as well?”

“Because I’m happy the way I am.” I flipped my long auburn hair back to prove it.

“Ah, there’s the last of the intellectuals,” Tyrion quipped, as he stepped over the threshold. His smile quickly faded away once he noticed the large pair of feet beside him. He looked up in horror at the giant towering over him. “Good god, who the hell are you?”

“Captain Harver.”

“Why the devil are you so tall?”

“Language,” I teased.

“Oh, but I can do so much worse.”

“Doctor Tyrion,” the Captain relayed in a monotone voice. “Please have a seat.”

“Ah, you put me in the front,” he observed, as he waddled over to his designated seat. “Front row seat to witness my death. How wonderful,” he said in a sarcastic tone, before he climbed up in his chair.

Gendry and Jeyne entered the shuttle craft. Gendry was clearly familiar with the Captain, for he patted the man’s back as he passed him. _He didn’t even budge,_ I pondered, as the Captain eyed Gendry with a subtle look of bewilderment. Jeyne was civil, of course, always finding ways to get the Captain’s good graces. _She need only to spread her legs,_ I mused, before I wondered if that would even work on an android. The Captain’s impassive face as he stared down at Jeyne, told me it wouldn’t.

“Funny,” Gendry called out, as he sauntered over to his seat. “In this day and age I didn’t think we'd need a doctor anymore.”

“I’m not a doctor in the literal sense,” Tyrion explained. “I have a doctorate in Atmospheric and Oceanic sciences. I am also a leading academic specialist in Astrophysics, another reason why Vasken was so determined I join you on this expedition.” 

“So, you’re a smart one,” Gendry replied, denoting his complete ignorance in anything related to science. He found his seat next to Tyrion and smiled at him before he added, “I think I’ll call you ‘doc.’”

“No, please don’t do that.”

“I like it! No, its going to stick.”

“Please don’t let the last few minutes of my life be in complete agony.”

“He’s kind of cute, isn’t he?” Jeyne whispered next to my ear. I was surprised to find her so close, it was enough for me to catch a waft of fruity breath from the gum she was chewing.

“Tyrion?”

“Gendry.”

“You can’t be serious?”

“He said he likes tall girl’s.”

_He likes anything that walks._ “He’s just trying to get into your pants. Trust me, you can do so much better than that.”

“Says the one who went out with Jamie Lannister.”

“Oh my god, that was one time!” I felt everyone’s eyes turn in my direction and I blushed before I looked down at my boots. “Will you ever let that go?” I whispered, as I watched her from the corner of my eye.

“Nah,” she teased, and leaned into my space further. “He’s a looker. I would have gone out with him too.”

She looked around the room to make sure no one was looking, before she added, “Besides I know how much you like the older guys.”

“He isn’t _that_ old.”

“Alright,” Jeyne replied, as she rolled the piece of gum around her tongue. “I’ll only agree if you put in a good word to your brother.”

“Jon has a girlfriend.”

“And?”

“They’ve been together for two years. You wouldn’t have a chance.”

She looked behind us and eyed Jon’s bored expression. She then looked in front and saw Gendry watching us with a smirk. “You’re right. I’ll stick with Gendry.”

I gave out a sigh of indignation, before the lights on the shuttle began to dimmer.

“Its time,” Jeyne whispered, with a look of terror.

“It’s going to be fine,” I assured her, as I bulked up the straps around my waist and chest.

“Alright, everyone buckle up!” Gendry yelled, feeling the need to state the obvious.

“Everyone put on your helmets,” Captain Harver bellowed. He pressed a button along the side of his collar that made a full-faced mask cover his visage. He took his seat in the front and waited for a visual to come on screen.

“Welcome to Marvel 2800,” a voice said overhead. “Please connect the classified chip into our system to engage.” The Captain pulled out a small chip from the back of his head, closing the gapping hole with the palm of his hand before he placed it inside a hovering box that came before him.

“Processing…” there was an awkward pause, and then the computer relayed, “You have passed all the necessary requirements for your voyage. Your flight to the planet… Plegethon… will engage in ten seconds.”

“Oh my god, I’m going to die,” wailed Doctor Tyrion.

“10- 9-”

“Someone let me out of here!”

“8- 7- 6-”

“We’re going to explode-”

“5- 4-”

“Into a great ball of flame!”

“Will you shut up!” Gendry yelled, and knocked the Doctor on the side of his arm.

“3- 2- 1-”

“Blast off!” Gendry yelled, before the engines rumbled and shot us out of the space ship.

“Holy-” the rest of my words were cut off as we fired into the deepness of space. The stars were blending together, everything was a blur, and then all I could see was silver streaks across the glass window as we flew down to the planet. I felt Jeyne’s hand on top of mine, squeezing it for dear life as we dipped low and plummeted into the Devil’s Claw.

The dark orange hand looked like it was reaching for us as we approached the planet’s atmosphere. The shuttle shook violently, rocking back and forth as we forced our way through the dense clouds. The ship started to get unbearably hot. _We’re burning up,_ I realized, as the glass window before us revealed small sparks of fire licking the glass surface. _We’re going to die,_ I thought, as a low groan was heard at the back of the shuttle. We lost control, the ship began to plummet, we were falling into the bright blazing light and then I saw nothing.


	3. Survival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Marvell shuttle has crashed on the planet's surface, and Sansa has to do whatever it takes to make it out alive. What she never expected is intruders on board the damaged shuttle, and for some inexplicable reason they are killing the unconscious crewmen one by one. Does she have what it takes to survive?

I heard my quickened breaths echoing throughout my helmet in a haunting manner. The glass in front of me was crazed with lines, making my line of vision sightless. There was a sudden flash of light, followed by an explosion and then everything went dim. Another neon blue light flashed through the air and I heard something tumble in front of me.

“Is that the last of them?” I heard off in the distance.

“I think so,” a woman’s voice answered back.

“Survey the area. Make sure nothing escapes.”

“Roger that.”

I heard multiple footsteps shuffling across the damaged floor. Sounds of a kindling fire was heard off in the distance. _We crashed,_ I remembered that now, _but where am I?_

“Take out your machines,” called out a voice in the darkness. “I want you to inspect every last one of them.”

There was a beeping sound, several of them going off on our damaged ship. I remained still, to fearful to move, and even if I wanted to, I was to weak to get out of the chair. The beeping continued, there was one behind me and another at the front of the shuttle.

Suddenly, a high-pitch squeal went off at the front, it seemed to be coming from the machines. “Son of a…” there was a banging noise, and then the beeping continued. “Faulty error.”

The squealing started up again, it sounded like a long whistle that made my ears ache. “I got one!” a voice yelled out in front of me. “Look at him, he looks like his face got chewed off.”

“I’m all the way back here,” the woman responded, as she made her way between the rows of chairs. The beeping sound was getting louder, it was obvious she was slowly making her way to my row.

“Poor bastard,” the man quipped, and then a blue flash of light went across my glass visor. _I know that sound,_ I realized, after the man chuckled. _It’s a gun._ “This is fun!”

“Isn’t it always,” the woman responded. I heard her boots crush the shards of glass scattered across the floor. The beeping was getting louder as she edged near. “There’s so many of them.”

“Yeah, I can’t wait to kill them all,” he laughed.

The whistle started up again, I grimaced at the sound, half-tempted to cover my ears, but I wouldn’t dare take off my helmet- or even move for that matter. “I think it’s our lucky day,” the woman said gleefully.

“What does she look like?” the man asked, his voice was loud enough to tell me he was now standing in my row as well.

“Like a freak.”

“No, she doesn’t.”

“She might as well be, based on the readings on this machine.”

“Let’s take a look, shall we?” I felt the man brush past my knees before he stood over Jeyne Pool. I heard him take off her helmet and laugh at the sight of her. “Perfectly normal.””

“That’s the most dangerous one.” The whistling stopped, I could only assume she shut off the machine.

“What about the one beside her?”

“She’s clear.”

“Another survivor,” he wailed. “You think we were a hospital.”

“No, we’re the clean-up crew.”

“And we do it splendidly,” his voice had a hint of affection, it was obviously intended for the woman beside him.

“Should you kill her, or should I?”

“Hmmm… you can do it, love.”

I heard the gun charge before a flash of light hit my eyes and I felt the force of the sonic bullet hit Jeyne’s frame, as her body shuddered in her seat.

The man chuckled again before I felt his hands around my waist. “Stupid buckles,” he complained, as he undid each one. Soon his hands wrapped around my hips as he lifted me off the seat and carried me in the air. He carried me for a few minutes before I noticed the change of lighting through my crazed helmet, everything was bright and sunny- and there was a turbulent wind brushing past us. “Shit,” the man mumbled, as he felt the full force of the head wind. His steps were slower, but he was able to maintain his upright posture as he carried me over his shoulders. “Alright, missy,” he remarked, as he lowered me down on a smooth surface. It felt like I was inside another shuttle, or at least something closely resembling it. “It’s time for you to join your little friends.”

There was a creaking sound, and then it felt like an overhead door had been shut. I was left in the darkness with a thousand questions in my mind, and the loud explosion off in the distance that shook the entire shuttle only added to the disarray. I heard the two of them laughing as they returned to their shuttle. “Oh my god, did you see that?” the girl yelled over the loud cracks of fire that was still going off.

“I love my job!” the man yelled back. I heard the front doors to the shuttle open, the mechanical hinges wailed as they slammed it shut. The engine started up, and I felt the shuttle rock slightly as it elevated into the air. The shuttle went off suddenly and I rolled over from the impact until I found myself crashing into another figure. I quickly took off my helmet, hoping the craft was filled with oxygen before I turned my head.

“Jon!” I cried and shook his body with excitement. “Jon, wake up.”

 _He's unconscious,_ I deliberated, and felt there was nothing left to do but crawl around the rest of the hanger. There was only one other body left, and it was sprawled out in the center of the floor. Doctor Tyrion’s face was caked with blood, but I knew he was alive, the slight heaving of his chest confirmed my suspicions. I crawled over to him and placed my hand in the center of his chest. “Tyrion! Wake up,” I pleaded, but was met with only silence.

I rolled over on my back and sighed, staring at the pale white ceiling overhead. _What the hell is going on?_ The sounds of engines dying away was my sole answer, followed by a slamming of the front doors. I heard their feet shuffle across a smooth surface before they heaved open the back of the shuttle; two figures stared at my terrified expression with keen amusement.

“Well, well,” the man said, before he tore off his helmet to reveal a young face with a malevolent look in those piecing blue eyes. “What do we have here?”

“She’s pretty,” the helmeted woman said with disgust.

“Come on, Myranda, don’t be jealous.”

“I should have killed her,” she answered, after she tore off her helmet and let her long brown hair cascade down her back.

“No,” he replied, and set his sonic gun on charge. “I can think of something better.”


	4. Put to Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa just can't seem to get a break. She is rescued from the shuttle crash, but her first encounter with human beings on the planet Plegethon, is less than pleasant. She quickly learns that there are all types of characters stranded on the planet, but they all have one thing in common- they wish to tell her nothing about where she is, and what they must do to her.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

I looked past the two figures and saw a man towering over them easily. He quickly snatched the gun from the young man’s hands and pushed him in the center of the chest.

“Hey!” the girl yelled angrily, before she hit him in the center of his back.

“Do that again and I’ll make sure you don’t have a fucking hand to hit me the third time," he said over his shoulder while he stared down the man in front of him.

“Don’t talk to her like that!”

“Do you think I give two shits what you think!”

“What’s your problem anyways?” The girl shot back.

“You’re a bunch of nancies, you know that? Trying to kill the girl in cold blood.”

“We weren’t going to kill her,” the young man said with a sinister smile. He looked at me with a dangerous glimmer in his eye. “We were just going to _hurt_ her.”

“Your like a beast in a man’s body,” the giant grumbled, before his large hand seized my shoulder and lifted me off the back of the shuttle.

“I’m a Bolton.”

“Bloody Bolton’s,” he grumbled. His hand was still on me, as if he wished to protect me. 

“Least I’m not a Clegane.”

“I swear if another word comes pouring out of your cunt mouth-”

“What are you going to do?”

“Do you really want to find out?”

The Bolton boy made a move, but the giant was quick to shove him into the side of the ship and punch him in the stomach. I took a step back as the woman brushed past me to knock him hard in the back. Clegane grunted before he turned around and swung his fist at her face, she stumbled backwards and reached for her gun, but he was quick to smack it out of her hand. While she was still caught off guard, Clegane pushed her so hard, she fell to the ground with a deafening thud.

He looked at my fearful face and grinded his teeth before he turned around and beat the Bolton boy into oblivion. While the boy was stretched out on the ground, all bloody and broken, Clegane warned, “Don’t ever cross me again.”

I let out a terrified squeal when he placed his large hands on me and led me away from the bloody scene. He wiped his stained hands across his broad chest, smearing his dark brown crew-cut sweater and slacks with blood. He grimaced when he looked down at me. “You act like you’ve never seen blood before.”

“No, I have,” I said in a high-pitched voice, while staring at the awful burn marks that was etched into the right side of his face. He was fearful to look at, and he knew it.

“If I hadn’t shown up it would have been your blood.” He gripped the side of my arm and led me up the stairs, making sure to look back just in case the Bolton boy managed to get up and follow us.

I followed his gaze and remarked, “My friends are down her there. Are you just going to leave him?”

“I’ll call for a stretcher,” he barked. “It looks like they’re not going anywhere, anyways.” He took me down a side hall where people we’re going back and forth, I noticed they were all dressed in uniform but none of them were wearing the same colour as the man beside me. The blood that was splattered all over his clothing called attention, but none of them were brave enough to look him in the eye.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked, after we passed several different hallways. It felt like we were in a labyrinth with the number of doors and hallways to my left and right.

“Don’t ask me any questions."

“Why not?”

“Because I said so,” he barked, and gripped me harder as he led led through a crowd of people. The halls opened up further, and on my right appeared a glass window where I could see all that was happening down below. There were people everywhere, coming and going across the courtyard, all in uniform of white, navy blue and grey. _But that’s impossible,_ I thought, _this planet shouldn’t be able to sustain human life._ Clegane continued to drag me down the hall until he stopped at a door.

“I bloody hate this part,” he grumbled, as he stepped through the door. The minute we passed through a man stopped before us and scanned us with a machine.

“All clear!” he yelled and removed his mask from his face. “You got into another fight?”

“The Bolton boy had it coming.”

“Wish I was there to see it,” he replied. “Just one today?”

“There’s two more. I left them on the shuttle. I’ll need a stretcher.”

“I’m on it!” he picked up a device, attached to the side of his hip. “Andrew here, we’ll need a stretcher for two.”

“Make it four!”

“Four?”

“Ramsay and Myranda will need one.”

The man laughed into the intercom. “Make it four.”

“I’ll go with them, just in case they run into trouble.”

“You should be our security.”

“I’m not going to be someone’s fucking security guard,” he spat out, before he turned away.

“Thank you!” I yelled out, before he was completely out the door. He looked at me with a slight grimace before the door shut between us.

“He’s always like that,” the young man explained. “Come with me, I’ll take you to the Doctor. You look like your hurt.”

“Just a bit.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll make it all better.”

* * *

“Just have a seat, my dear.” The doctor stood at the foot of my bed, she watched me recline across the newly made bed patiently. Once I appeared comfortable she smiled at me. “I understand you were in a crash.”

“Yes.”

“You’re lucky to be alive.” She pulled out a small mechanism and unfolded it until a set of glasses appeared. “I’m just going to look you over, so hold still.”

“Alright.” I watched her look me over, her glasses made a small chirping noise as she scanned me over. It was only a matter of seconds before she removed her glasses and compressed them, until it returned to its original rectangular shape.

“You’ll be fine. Light bruises around the knee, but its nothing that time can’t fix. For now, I suggest you rest and get some sleep.”

“What about my friends?”

“Oh, they’ll be joining you soon,” she replied with a small smile. “I’ll be sure they have a bed on either side of you.”

“Thank you.”

“You are a guest. I will make sure you are offered the best of our hospitality.”

“Yes, about that… where am I exactly?”

She smiled at me, but it did not match her eyes. “I shall tell you all when you get better. For now, I suggest you lie down and get some rest. I’ll return to you in a few hours. Goodnight.” She left me without another word, and as soon as the door closed behind her the room began to darken. I leaned up on the bed and watched each light turn off one by one until there was no source of light left in the hospital room, except one blue ominous glow in the center of the ceiling. _Emergency lights,_ I mused. There was a hush sound coming from the walls, as if air was seeping through. I sat up on my bed further and saw how a light fog billowed under the blue light. _Gas,_ I realized, and got up from my bed with a sense of urgency. I ran to the door and twisted the knob but it was locked.

“Computer, open the door!” I called out and waited for a response- there was nothing. “Computer, I order you to open this door _now._ ”

 _Why isn’t it listening to me?_ I cursed under my breath before I pounded on the door with my side in a vain attempt to break the door free. _Its no use, the door won’t budge._ I started to cough, the gas was getting thicker, I could feel the acrid taste on my tongue. My head felt like it was swimming as I stumbled through the foggy haze. _The bed,_ I thought, and staggered over to it, preferring the hospital bed over the cold hard ground. My head was drooping by the time I reached my bed, and once I laid my aching head over the pillow the gas was already lulling me to sleep.

I heard the door creak open and the sound of soft footsteps padding into my room. There was a shuffling of feet before I heard two bodies being placed on the bed beside me, just like Doctor Wong had promised me. Another set of footsteps entered the room, followed by a low thud with each step. The sound was getting louder until the person stopped at the side of my bed. I opened my eyes, but the gas and the low lighting made it impossible for me to see; I could only distinguish a man in a pearl white mask staring down at me.

“Are they all from Vasken?” he asked, his deep resonant voice lent authority to his utterances.

“Yes, sir.”

I found my eyes closing on its own accord, sleep was digging its claws into me, and I was powerless against it.

“Good,” he said in a sharp tone. “This will be useful.”

My eyes were fully closed now, but I could still feel him staring at me. “When you are done with the operation… bring her to me.” I felt a billow of cold air rush past my frame as he left my side, and only then did I find myself slipping into darkness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: I just wanted to thank you all for commenting and sending me kudos so far. I'm sorry if I didn't reply to everyone, but believe me I have read each one and it has made my day. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed your first introduction to Petyr, and enjoyed all his shadiness. There may be a slight delay for chapter 5, because I want to make sure I get the first Petyr and Sansa encounter right. So, make sure you bookmark or subscribe so you can get an update when I finally post it.
> 
> On a final note, thank you all for reading this fic so far. I was a bit worried when I decided to do a Petyr x Sansa sci-fi fic, but all of your positive responses made me realize it was worth the risk. You guys are awesome!
> 
> \- petyrbaaaeeelish
> 
> P.S. The last chapter of "Falling Down the Rabbit's Hole" will be posted this Friday. "The Devil's Treachery" won't be posted until some time next week because I'm still struggling with Petyr and Sansa's wedding. Don't worry I won't make it anything like the Purple or Red Wedding lol. I'm not that mean ;)


	5. Man of Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the operation, Sansa finally has the chance to find out the truth about Plegethon. But the answers to all her questions can come from one man only, and she is afraid what it will cost her to learn the truth?

“Oh, good! You’re awake.” Andrew stood in front of my bed with a white uniform draped over his arm. “How are you feeling?”

“My head hurts.”

“That’s to be expected.”

“And my hand…” I looked down to see my right hand wrapped up in linen bandages. “Oh my god, what did you do?”

“Doctor Wong and I had to operate on you. It was the only way to ensure you can stay here.” He lay the uniform at the foot of my bed and held out his right hand in the air in front of me. “You see, every member of Vasken has a chip on their right hand. We had to remove it-”

“Why?”

“Because they will continue to track you and we have to make them believe that your-”

“Dead,” I finished for him, finally understanding what he was trying to say.

“Unfortunately, yes. You see, this is in the best interest for our establishment. We must preserve this colonization for as long as we can.”

“But Vasken wants to develop a human colonization here too!” I pointed out. “Could you not work together?”

Andrew tightened his lips and looked down at the floor. “I have said to much already. Get dressed, Sansa, and I will take you to someone who will answer all your questions.”

I huffed at him and picked up the freshly ironed uniform, noticing how soft it was to the touch. “You’re one of the lucky ones,” Andrew commented. “You got a white uniform.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you get to work in the science department like me.” He smiled at the thought of it and pointed to the snake insignia on his chest. “See this, it tells people that I work in the medical department. I assist Doctor Wong, and one day I’ll take over for her. That is how it should always be- the master and their apprentice.”

“Then what am I?” I asked, while holding up the uniform before him. “I don’t have a pin like you?”

“That’s because you haven’t been placed anywhere yet?”

“I’m a historian. Is there a department for that?”

“I’m afraid not,” he replied, while rubbing the back of his hand over his eyes. _He’s tired, how long have I been out?_

“Andrew, how long have I been asleep?” I asked with slight hesitation.

“Oh, about three hours. Do you need more rest?”

_No, I need answers._ “I’m fine. I’m ready to see that person now… the one who will answer all my questions.”

“Eager, aren’t you?” he teased. “Alright, you got ten minutes to get dressed and then I’ll take you to him.” He gave a quick wave as he went out the door. _Who is this man of mystery,_ I wondered. _Well,_ _there is only one way to find out._ With that, I jumped out of bed and threw on the one-piece suit as fast as I could.

* * *

Andrew led me up rocky stairs, it was a dull dusty red colour, the same as the walls which surrounded us. The windy staircase felt old, it was different from all the other areas I’ve been too. I rubbed my left hand along the wall and was surprised to see the thick clumps of red dust clinging to my finger tips.

“Andrew,” I said worriedly, realizing I had nothing to wipe it off. He laughed at me, while rubbing his hand across his freckled cheek. “Yeah, you can’t touch the walls here. What you see here is the rocks of Plegethon! The last remaining evidence of our humble beginnings…” he continued to trek his way up the stairs and I followed. “You see, the very first settlers that were stranded on Plegethon lived in caves, much like these. You are going to meet the very first- its because of him we have this successful colony. He is the brains behind it all.” He stopped and turned around to face me. “You know, you’re lucky to meet him. Not many people have that opportunity. Most of the time, people don’t even know he exists! He’s sort of like a _ghost_ that haunts these walls.”

“And what would a ghost want with me?” I asked, after he turned to face the stairs.

Andrew shrugged his shoulders before he began to mount the steps. “You’ll have to ask him.”

By the time we reached the top steps were both breathing heavily. “Long climb,” Andrew remarked as he stepped into the room. It felt like a waiting room with the numerous couches scattered around, there was a towering bookshelf along the wall and a low desk with a few photobooks. There was a record player too, and I found myself gravitating towards it.

“These are all antiques,” I observed. “I mean look at this record player… vinyls… do you you know how much this is worth?”

“More than you and I combined,” he answered, as he took his place beside me. “Here, wipe your hand on this cloth. I don’t want you to get anything dirty.”

“Thanks.” I wiped away the red dust and handed it back to him. “Can I turn it on?”

“If you wish.”

I fiddled with it until the record started to spin. Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata started to play. “I never expected that,” I remarked.

“Yes, well he is often full of surprises.’

I twisted the knob, so the music could play louder before I began to explore. “I can’t remember the last time I saw a book- I mean a real, genuine, hard covered book.”

“They are rare,” he concurred.

“Rare? These must have cost him a fortune. I would have them all in a glass case… better yet, locked up and stored away with a key.”

“Then who would be able to enjoy them?” A deep voice resounded across the room, I was so startled I dropped the hard-covered book on the floor. I quickly picked it up and looked at the stranger with slight embarrassment. He was the same height as me, dark haired with a thick beard, he was the first person I met who was not in uniform; he wore a snug fitting turtleneck in an off-white colour with a navy-blue blazer and matching pants. It wasn’t until he took a step forward that I noticed his cane, and then I was reminded of that familiar thud only a few hours ago. _Its him,_ I realized, with a wide-eyed expression and that made me take a step backwards.

The song ended, and there was a brief pause before Claude Debussy’s Claire De Lune came on. I turned my head to the record player and smiled slightly at the sound of it. “Do you like it?” he asked, and I noticed how quick his eyes scanned my entire visage.

“Yes,” I paused, and swallowed hard under his heated gaze. “I like many things.”

He took another step forward before he leaned heavily on his cane. “Not many people know this song.”

“It’s a shame, cause its beautiful.”

“It is,” he breathed, and looked at me with a steady gaze.

“Well, I’ll get going now,” Andrew interrupted, clearly sensing there was something going on between us. “It was nice to meet you again, sir.”

“Andrew, isn’t it?” the stranger said, and held out his hand for the man to shake.

“Yes, sir,” he said gleefully, and placed his hand into the stranger’s quickly. He shook it merrily while adding, “It’s an honour.”

“You’re too kind.” He let his hands fall back to his sides as he uttered, “Give my regards to Doctor Wong.”

“I sure will,” Andrew assented, and knocked into the couch as though he was star-struck. He let out a nervous giggle before he descended the stairs.

The curious man gingerly walked over to the record player and turned down the volume. Danse Macabre was a lovely tune, but too distracting for both him and I. “Please, make yourself at home,” he offered, as he slowly walked around the back of the long couches. “Have a seat.”

I took a seat on a dark auburn couch and made sure to place a pillow between us before he took a seat as well. He looked at it with vague amusement, and it was the first time I noticed the wonderous colours in those silvery green eyes. He noticed I was staring at him and that caused him to smile. “Not what you were expecting?”

“No, I-” I paused, and licked my bottom lip. “I don’t really know what to expect anymore.”

His eyes softened a great deal as he looked at me. “Well, you’re not what I expected either.”

I swallowed hard under his relentless gaze, keenly aware of the rising colour to my cheek. The music had stopped, and it was so silent you could hear a pin drop, there was tension in the air, but for what exact reason I could scarcely tell. He stealthily moved the pillow away and placed it on his lap, I noticed the multiple rings that adorned his fingers: a square one as pale as bones, a dark ruby red with an unfathomable depth to it, and I felt lost as I looked into the marvelous shade. _Who is this man,_ I thought, as I finally looked up at him. Our eyes were immediately locked and I felt something pulling me towards him. I clenched my teeth in a vain attempt to maintains some level of control.

“Who are you?” I finally said, as a last attempt to break the spell.

“Lord Baelish, but you can call me Petyr.”

“Petyr,” I mouthed, and that put a smile on his face.

“And you are Sansa Stark.”

“Yes.”

“A historian, I believe?”

“Yes” I said, after I lowered my eyebrows at him with suspicion.

“Then we have a shared interest,” He commented, and pointed at the bookshelf just ahead of us. “I too have an interest in human civilization. These books tell our history from the dawn of time. Our very existence is written in them.” He returned his gaze back to me. “It is my desire to preserve mankind… save it from extinction, and that is why I created _Elisium._ ”

“Elisium? I know that word, it means-”

“Paradise.” He nodded his head in approval. “That is what this colony means to us. We were once exiles… sojourners, but now we have made this place our home.”

“That is what Vasken wishes as well-”

“Oh, is that what they told you?” he laughed.

“Yes, they wish to colonize this planet-”

“They wish to destroy it,” he said flatly.

“No, you’re wrong.”

“I am twice your age, my dear. I have seen things you would have never dreamed of. Experience things that would blow your mind. Even now, the pain of it all, burns everlastingly in my memory.” He tapped his cane on the floor and let out a long sigh. “No, I am not wrong. In time you will see things as I do. Now, come with me.”

He got up from the couch, slightly squinting in pain till his feet were leveled with the ground. He offered me his arm and I placed mine inside of his, keenly aware of how close our bodies were. I caught a waft of his cologne, and unconsciously liked my lips, and it was then that I turned to look at him and noticed he caught the sight of my tongue still peaking out of my mouth. He bit down at his bottom lip before he looked away and determined to look ahead until we exited the room.

“This is my office,” he said, as we entered a dark room, only a rectangular shape in the center of the room glowed in the darkness. “I wanted to show you this first,” he observed, as he led me over to the rectangular shape. He rubbed his hand over the luminous green table and remarked, “Just as a jellyfish produces its own light, or the natural fungi in the African rainforest glow, so does this…” he tapped the table deliberately and added, “There are certain rocks on Plegethon, deep in the caves that glow such as this. It is because of this chemiluminescence- this natural light-emitting reaction that I and my fellow comrades managed to survive so long in those caves. I had a man carve out the rock befitting for a desk, so I could carry this memory with me always.”

He led me over to a wall and pressed a button to turn on the lights. “Couldn’t you just clap to turn them on?”

“No.”

“Or ask the computer?”

“No,” he snarled, and I noticed there was fire in his eyes as he looked away from me.

“You do not have them here?””

“I do not want them here,” he said through clenched teeth. I felt how tight he was under my arm, as if he was battling unknown demons. “I want to show you something,” he remarked, and released himself from me, so he could take my hand instead. It was odd- the familiarity he had with me, as he tightened his grip the moment he took a step forward. I felt his thumb brush against the back of my hand, so tender it forced me to look up at his impassive profile, no- there was no hint of emotion written on his face, as his thumb lightly danced across the back of my hand.

_Who is this man to take such liberties,_ I wondered as he led me across the room. He stopped at the furthest wall and let go of my hand, so he could unwind a crank; it went around a few times until I heard a sharp crack, and realized he was unwinding a circular window. I took a step forward and peaked through the small crack, noticing the protective glass that protected us from the harsh planet’s atmosphere. The wall slowly rolled up, and soon I could see more out of the partially eclipsed window.

“Welcome to Plegethon,” Petyr whispered, once I could see out of the circular window fully. He leaned against the wall and watched me stare out at the sheer untamed beauty of the rock mountains and red clouds swirling in the wind. I blinked, feeling the brightness of the flavescent orange light nearly blinding my vision.

“Yes, we have sunsets on this planet,” he commented, his eyes still arrested on my face.

“You’re not even looking at it.”

“I don’t have to see it- I can feel it.” He raised his hand into the light and let the warm light rest on the back of his hand. “It feels like a lifetime ago, since I’ve seen anything else. Still, the universe has many wonders, and even now and then I find something to amaze me. Like you for example…” he dropped his hand back to his side, and I saw him suck in his cheeks slightly as he looked at me. He licked his bottom lip and I saw his eyes drop lower till it landed on my lips. I swallowed hard and felt that awful silence descend upon us again. He leaned off the wall and took a step forward, thus, blocking the bright fluorescent light that was shining on my face.

“We haven’t met before, have we?” He asked, before he puckered his lips with bewilderment.

“No,” I said in a strained voice. “Never.”

“I get a queer feeling about you…” his lips puckered out further. “As if we met before.”

“No,” I said in a light voice, not liking how close he was to me now.

“Strange,” he breathed. “Perhaps, the universe is trying to tie us together?”

“Destiny?” I joked, but Petyr did not laugh at that.

“I don’t believe in such things,” he rapped out. “Still…” he reached for my hand and unraveled it till he could see the palm of my hand. “Though what you say is ridiculous, it does have some merit.”

Petyr let the tips of his fingers run along the lines in my hand curiously, completely lost in his own thoughts. His eyes tilted upward till it rested in my own, and I could have sworn I could get lost in the storminess of those darkened orbs. _Captivated,_ I thought, that is how I feel around him.

“Fate?” I asked, desperately trying to ignore the sudden acceleration of my heart.

“Fate,” he repeated, and let his hand rest underneath my chin instead of my hand. He tilted my face upward and leaned forward till his lips ever so delicately pressed on mine. I felt the air leave my lungs the second he moved away. _What was that,_ I wondered, as our eyes were still trained on to each other. _Who is this man? What is he to me?_

He leaned against his cane with an inexplicable smug. “I don’t know how you happened to fall into my hands, but I’m glad you did.” He laughed suddenly and went away form the window with a merry gait. _What an odd little man,_ I thought, as he hobbled his way around the room. He sat down on a high chair on his jasper coloured desk and shot me a grin before he motioned me forward. “Have a seat, Sansa, unfortunately I can’t stand for very long.”

“What happened?” I asked, as I pointed at his right leg dangling off his seat.

“Oh, you don’t want to hear about that,” he said in a pleasant voice, but the look in his eyes told me he didn’t want to speak about it.

“Oh, but I do.”

“Hmmm… I can see you’re used to getting your own way, but that won’t work with me I’m afraid.”

“Why not?”

“Have a seat, Sansa,” he drawled, and patted the seat next to him.

“Why aren’t you wearing a uniform like everyone else?” I asked, after I took in the brightness of his silver buttons that transcended across the cuffs of his sleeves in a decorative fashion.

“You’re full of questions, aren’t you?”

 “I like to have answers.”

“And you have a quick tongue too.”

“Quick enough.”

“I like it,” he quipped, and smirked at me with a mischievous look in his eyes.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” I pointed out.

“That’s because I’m not obliged too.”

“Not obliged too,” I mocked with a sarcastic tone. “You’d think you’re the King of Plegethon.”

“Maybe I am.”

“I can very well believe it,” I gibbed, as a smile was quickly spreading across Petyr’s face.

“You don’t believe me?”

“Oh, I’ll believe anything at this point.”

“All my life I’ve never told a lie. Does that make me a liar?”

“I don’t know.” I lay my chin on the palm of my hand as I rested my elbow on the desk. “I think so.”

His grey-green eyes sparkled with amusement. “Let’s just say I’m not the King of Plegethon, but I’m very close to it. And for a long time, I’ve been looking for someone to serve alongside me… to learn all that I know and take over for me when the time is right. After all…” he paused, and patted his hand atop of his knee. “I am a mere mortal. Unlike some I don’t have the privilege of living forever.”

“Neither do I.”

“Oh, but you are younger-”

“Not that much-”

“How old do you think I am?” he interrupted and knitted his eyebrows together as he anxiously waited for my answer.

“Well, its hard to tell with that beard.”

“My beard?” he rubbed his fingers along it as he contemplated the matter.

“Yes, it makes you look so much older.” He grunted at me, and it only grew louder when I added, “Like you could be my father.”

“I’m not _that_ old,” he sulked.

“Well, how can I tell with that great burly beard of yours?”

“For your information-”

“And the greys along your temples.”

“I’m forty-two,” he spat out.

“Twenty-five.”

He rolled his eyes at me, once he realized I was teasing him all along. “Are you always like this?”

“Not always-”

“Good,” he said in a sharp tone, and spread out his free hand across the table.

“If it helps I like the grey’s. Not the beard- that has to go.”

“I’ve had this since the day I crashed here-”

“I don’t care. It has got to go.”

“Are you quite finished?” he asked, before he vainly attempted to suppress a smile. _I like him,_ I realized, as I saw his hand gradually creeping towards my own. I don’t know how or why, but I know that I do.

“So, if you’re a King- does that make me your Queen?”

“No.”

“Then I decline your offer.”

“I haven’t even made it yet,” he drawled out with annoyance.

“Really, Lord Baelish,” I huffed.

“Its Petyr,” he reminded me.

“Petyr,” I repeated, but made sure to stretch his out his name just to annoy him. “Why did you bring me up her then?”

“Because you have many questions, and I have many answers,” He replied. “So, let us make an exchange, shall we?” I agree to answer all your questions as long as it does not pose a threat to Elisium or I, and you will in turn will become my apprentice-”

“Apprentice?”

“Or whatever term suits you.”

“I’m not going to be _your_ apprentice!”

“No? Have you something better in mind?”

“Yes! I’m going to find my space suit and report back to Vasken what I’ve found, which is a large human colony that is able to maintain a proper way of life- no exceed that to the point of prodigality-”

“Prodigality? You think we live an extravagant lifestyle?”

“Too extravagant!”

“You flatter me-”

“I had no intention too.”

“You know, I think we’ll get along together! Oh yes, I can see that now.”

“You will return my space suit to me and take me back to my shuttle-”

“The one that exploded this morning?”

“Very well, you will give me a ship-”

“Sansa, sweetling, I admit your efforts are very commendable but-”

“You know what?” I yelled.

“What?”

“I don’t like you.”

Petyr smirked at me and rested his chin on his hand as well, mirroring my exact movements till we were at eye level. “Maybe I should make you my Queen,” he blurted out. “You’re sure acting like one.”

“I’m nobody’s Queen!”

“Of course, your royal highness.”

“I’m done with you!” I slid off the chair and smoothed down my wrinkles fiercely. “As far as I’m concerned, you can hobble your way out of here!”

“Hmmm….” He raised his head off his hand before he added, “I guess you won’t like the idea of you sharing your quarters with me.”

“What?” I exclaimed. Petyr laughed so hard he nearly fell off his chair. “Sansa, help me down, will you?”

“Oh, this is just the beginning! Then its ‘Sansa, can you make me breakfast? Sansa, pass me the pen-’”

“It was a simple request, you don’t have to help-”

“Sansa, help me into the shower-”

“Now, I’m not entirely against that idea.”

“Insufferable man!”

“Hmmm…” he murmured again, but this time his left eyebrow raised at me playfully.

“No, don’t give me that look!”

“What look?” he asked defensively.

“That look of how will I get her to do that?”

“Well, once you plant an idea in my mind, its extremely difficult to remove it.”

“I give up,” I said with disbelief, and swiveled around so I could get out of this room.

“Would you like me to take you to your quarters now or later?”

“Go to hell!”

“Oh, I can hear the excitement already!”

I was almost out the door when I heard him groan in pain. _His leg,_ I remembered, and that forced me to turn around and help him. Once he was firmly on his feet he leaned into me and said, “Thank you, Sansa,” with a leveled voice. I saw the truthfulness of his words in those serene-like eyes. For some incomprehensible reason I leaned in and kissed the side of his cheek. He grabbed a hold of me and kissed me fiercely, letting his cane fall to the floor before he wrapped his arms around my waist. I stroked my fingers through his beard before I wrapped my arm around the back of his head to pull him in. “My quarters,” I said in between kisses.

“I knew you’d stay,” he jeered, and pulled me into his chest so he could kiss me again. I was surprised to feel his tongue slip into my mouth, but I welcomed it immediately and allowed him to explore. His hands slid lower, caressing the curves of my hips as I pinned him against the desk.

“We should stop,” he suddenly said, and inched his head away from mine slightly. “Before things go too far.”

“Right,” I agreed, as I tried to catch my breath.

“After I show you to your quarters- lock the door,” he warned. He let his hands fall to my sides and interlaced our fingers together for a moment, before he bent down to pick up his cane. “Alright, follow me,” he murmured, and with that Petyr took my hand and led me out the room.


	6. Man vs. Machine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petyr wants to know what side Sansa is on, so he does the only thing he can- he tells her the truth. But her quickness to judge his motives, forces him to take an alternative approach, one that will reveal his sordid past.

“Look, I understand your concern,” Petyr said from the other side of the door, it was clear he was talking to someone in the hallway, just outside of our bedrooms. “But I am a very busy man. I don’t have time for that.”

“But what do you want me to tell them?” Andrew entreated, I recognized his voice right away.

“Whatever the hell you want! Come on, Andrew! You can be creative.”

“They have a lot of questions, and I can’t answer them.”

“Make something up,” he drawled. “Tell them not to drink the water, if they wish to live. Tell them- I have half a mind to take their brains out and examine them.”

“Well, I can’t do that.”

“Why are you even here? Bothering me about this nonsense,” Petyr said irratibly, before he slammed his bedroom door.

“Because Doctor Wong is concerned about what we should do with these patients.”

“Same thing as always,” he snapped. “Assign them to a district best suited to them, and make sure they contribute to Elisium in a positive manner, and if not, they will face the same punishment as the others.”

I heard Petyr’s footsteps retreating from his door and I jumped out of bed, so I could open my bedroom door a crack. I saw Andrew’s disgruntled expression flash across his face before he followed the man.

I looked back at my bed and snatched my bath robe before I slipped through the door. I hastily tied up my belt around my waist, thankful that I at least had some cloth to cover my nakedness. I tip-toed across the floor until I reached the end of the hallway and listened.

“And what punishment is that exactly?” Andrew groaned, while his hands covered his entire face. “What would you like me to threaten them with?”

“Don’t threaten them! No, that’s the last thing we need.” He paused, and I heard him shuffling around the living room, flipping through stacks of paper. “They’re from Vasken, are they not? Out of all the shit holes that fall to this planet, we finally have something valuable and you want to give them up?”

“No, sir.”

“Show me the list again,” Petyr ordered. There was a brief pause before he uttered, “This Tyrion Lannister… he has a knowledge in Astrophysics?”

“And Oceanic and Atmospheric sciences, sir.”

“Then he belongs in our division. Assign him immediately.”

“Yes, but he has a lot of questions-”

“Then answer them,” Petyr cut in. I heard him throw the stacks of paper on the desk with a low smack. “We need him to be on _our_ side.”

“It will take some convincing-”

“Then convince him,” Petyr interrupted, his tone of voice was abrupt and to the point. “Now, if you don’t have anything else to add, I have a meeting to attend too in less than an hour.”

“No, and I am sorry, Lord Baelish. I know how busy you are-”

“Yes, yes, it is quite forgotten,” Petyr said hurriedly. They appeared in the hallway but turned in the opposite direction of me. Petyr was dressed in an all white uniform- the same as mine. He laid a hand on top of Andrew’s shoulder and said, “I am sorry, if I was a little short with you. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Nightmare’s, sir?” Andrew asked. Petyr’s hand clenched the top of his shoulder forcibly, enough for Andrew to let out a grunt from the pain. “I have access to Doctor Wong’s files,” he feebly explained. “I read it in her-”

“If you tell anyone,” Petyr warned in a deep voice.

“I won’t, sir.”

Petyr grinded his teeth, it could be heard from where I was. “Alright, let’s just keep this between us.” Petyr muttered before he released his grip. “And no, it wasn’t nightmares, it was something else.” His sudden turn of thought made him glance over his shoulder and become suddenly aware of my haunting presence only a few feet away from him. Petyr turned around fully and leaned on his case with a curious expression before he uttered, “Sansa, my dear! I didn’t know you’d be up this early.”

“I heard voices,” I said truthfully, and tightened my belt before I went over to them. Petyr took his time looking me up and down, but Andrew watched me with vague disinterest. “Hello,” I murmured, once I joined their little circle.

Petyr’s eyelids batted slowly, the lines around his mouth crinkled as his mouth formed into a smile. “Do you always wake up like this?”

“Like what?”

He looked down, his smile widening by the second. He was grinding the end of his cane into the ground when he murmured, “I can get used to this.”

“Used to what?” I wanted to say, but something about the way his eyes glistened made me too afraid to utter it aloud.

“Alright, Andrew, your free to leave,” Petyr bellowed in a professional tone of voice.

“Of course,” Andrew said with promptness, and turned to leave. Once Andrew was out of hearing distance, Petyr muttered, “You’re not dressed.”

“No.”

“Is this a usual thing? Or is it for me?”

“Oh, you would like that, wouldn’t you?” I shot out. He bit his lip down hard at that, piercing his soft bottom lip. “You needn’t worry, Lord Baelish, I won’t make it a habit.”

“Petyr.”

“Petyr,” I repeated in a softer tone. “Have you had breakfast?”

“I rarely do.”

“Well, after all the excitement yesterday, I didn’t have a single thing to eat, and by the time I remembered it was too late.”

“Late?”

“Late in the evening that is.”

“Oh?” He narrowed his eyes at me as he moved into my space further. “And you didn’t want to come looking for me, is that it?”

“You did tell me to lock the door-”

“I did, didn’t I?” he cut in, and I saw him biting down on the inside of his left cheek.

“So, will you have breakfast with me?”

“Only if you get dressed,” he quipped. I saw his free hand gravitating towards me, before he quickly snatched it back. “I think you should do that _now._ ”

_We both know what will happen if I don’t,_ I surmised, and whipped the end of my belt teasingly in front of him before I took my leave. I could feel him staring at me, watching me make my way down the hall, and if it wasn’t for that cane I would have thought he was following me, but no- when I looked back he was leaning on that wooden cane, gripping it for dear life until I finally closed the door between us.

* * *

“What did you mean _our_ side?” I asked, after I took a bite out of my toast.

“Oh, you heard that, did you?”

“Yes.”

He took a sip of his black coffee and placed it down with careful deliberation. “Obviously, in life there are friends… and there are enemies. I’m just trying to figure out where Tyrion falls.”

“What about me?”

“What about you?” he drawled and leaned back on his seat. “You’ll come to my side. If not now-eventually you will.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I’m usually right.”

“Alright, well what’s your side?”

“We’re the defenders… the protectors, I guess you can say.”

“And what do you defend?”

“Mankind.” He tapped his nails on the desk when he stressed, “Our entire existence is hinged on this moment.”

“Then who are you defending it from?”

His hand fell flat on the table with a _thud_. “Do you know what the problem with humanity is? We think we’re so superior! We like to be in control, and I’m as guilty as the next man. But that’s our problem- right there! That is the bane of our existence… our Achilles heel.”

Petyr’s entire face darkened, as if a cloud came over him. “What do you think of Artificial Intelligence?”

“What do I think of it? I haven’t really given it any thought. They’re a bit creepy, aren’t they?”

He tightened his lip with displeasure and looked away from me. _Was it something I said?_

“Think of it this way,” he finally said, before he reverted his gaze back to me. “Imagine I design a computer to kill a human disease, cancer, for example that has been plaguing our people well into the twenty-third century. Now imagine, I create a machine that affectively cures our people, but I gave it one flaw- a supreme level of Artificial Intelligence. Now, this machine may do as it commands and cure every man, woman and child one by one, or…” he leaned into his seat and uttered, “It can conclude that the best way to obliterate cancer is to exterminate human beings all together, who are so prone to this illness. It is then that the tables are turned, and _we_ are seen as the inferior beings!”

“And that is what you think is happening now?”

“It already happened! And its only getting worse.”

“How?” I asked, now to engrossed to finish the rest of my meal.

“The people on your shuttle- your crewmen,” he paused and interlaced his fingers together. “Not all of them survived.”

“No, they were…” I paused as I remembered the flashing blue lights around the crashed shuttle. “They were killed.”

“By my orders.”

“Why?”

“Because they are not like you and I, Sansa.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’ve been taken over.”

“No!”

“Yes.”

“You’re wrong! Just because Jeyne and Gendry had some artificial implants doesn’t mean they’ve been taken over. And that doesn’t make us superior to them either.”

“Quite the contrary, it is them that are the superior beings. Half man- half machine, that would be a terrible force to reckon with.” He moved forward and asked, “Do you know the best way to win the war? You don’t fight on the forefront like savages? No, that is the old way. To win a war you must assimilate, or inbreed, as I like to call it. You don’t fight them, you fuck ‘em! And that is what Artificial Intelligence is- that’s what it does.”

“So, you want to fight computers?”

“Are you listening?” he asked, his Irish brogue heavier than ever. “I’m not going to fight them-”

“Well, you’re not going to fuck them?”

He laughed at that and shoved his mug away from him completely. “No, I’m not going to fuck some machine.”

“That’s good to know.”

“Yeah, they’re not my type,” he jeered, and reached over for my toast so he could take a bite out of it.

“I thought you weren’t hungry,” I spat out.

“You worked up my appetite.”

“I have that effect.”

“Oh, you’re so full of it, aren’t you?”

“That’s a bit hypocritical!” I pointed out, before I snatched the bread out of his hand.

“As I was saying…” he wiped the crumbs off his hands with a napkin before he continued, “I plan to outwit them. I’ll never be able to beat the computers… its too far gone for that now. We lost the battle, but we can still win the war. Elisium is the last thing standing in their way, a colony untouched by technology with people pure and unmolested by artificial limps and such.”

“But they could fix your leg!”

“I’d rather suffer with this pain everyday of my life, than have some nuts and bolts shoved into me,” he barked. “You want me to have an artificial leg? It was that very intelligence that did this to me!”

“You’re angry-”

“Oh, I’m past anger, believe me.” He got up from his seat and I quickly followed him, so I could help him to the floor.

“It will destroy you,” I reasoned.

“I think that happened a long time ago,” he sighed. He picked up his cane and smacked the edge of it against the table lightly. He grunted under his breath before he turned to leave.

“Petyr!” I called out and waited for him to turn around. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“You’re a nice girl, but there’s some things you don’t understand.”

“Then make me understand.”

“Wait here,” he breathed, and hobbled out of the room.

I was rapping my nails on the kitchen table when he finally returned with a withered book under his arm. He dropped it in front of me, dust rising in the air after the impact, and I coughed from the drafty old smell.

“You want to understand, then read this. Maybe then, you won’t be so quick to judge.”

“I’m not judging-”

“Well, it sure feels like it,” he quipped. “I’m off to a meeting down the hall. You can join me whenever your ready. But for now…” he opened the book to the front page. “Read.”

“Yes, sir,” I teased. He raised his eyebrows at me before he turned to leave, and I found myself wishing he would at least kiss me goodbye. _What’s gotten into me_ , I pondered, before I buried my head into the ancient-looking book.

 


	7. A Sudden Interest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petyr changes his mind, much to Sansa's annoyance, by forcing her to come to the council meeting. It is only then that she learns how far Petyr will go to protect Elisium.

The book suddenly slammed close with a thud, Petyr’s hand stayed on it for a minute longer before he dragged it across the table and tucked it under his arm.

“What was that for?”

“I changed my mind.”

“What? You can’t do that!”

“I can, and I will.”

“Is it really that horrible that I won’t understand?”

“Horrible? Yes. But I thought I’d show you it in person, rather than a book.”

“Are you always so abrupt?”

“Abrupt?”

“Changeful,” I explained.

“No, not really.” He scratched the side of his beard before he looked over his shoulder at the open doorway. “There’s some people I want you to meet.”

“Oh, and will you change your mind about that as well?”

“If you keep behaving this way I might,” he argued. “Now, are you going to come with me or are you just going to stay here?”

I got off my feet and grumbled a few curses as I followed him out of the room. “The men and women who you are about to meet I have known for a long time,” he explained, as we walked down the hall. “Many of them were my crewman from the Zimmerman Project. We went through a lot together… surviving in the caves for days on end.” He looked at me when he added, “We were hunted, starved to death, betrayed by one another… only the strongest survived. You will meet them now.” He placed his hand at the bottom of my spine to steer me into the room.

Everyone in the room rose to their feet once Lord Baelish entered the room. He waved his hand in the air and ordered them to be seated. “Sansa, sit here,” he ordered, and pointed to the center of the couch before he sat at my left.

“Now, the meeting can commence. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have asked you here to discuss some recent developments. As you are well aware, Vasken has taken a sudden interest in our planet. The person on my right, Sansa Stark, is living proof of their most recent expedition. There are two other survivors… Doctor Tyrion Lannister and Mr. Jon Snow. I have chosen to spare their lives in the hopes that they will help us in the future. If you sense any disloyalty to our cause, don’t hesitate to destroy them. You all know how long we have struggled, and we will not lose everything we hold dear- not now- not _ever._ ”

Petyr turned to me with a serious gaze. “Sansa, I should like to introduce you to the men and women of Elisum Council. This is Doctor Wong, head of the medical department. Professor Walter Emerson, a leading geologist in his field. It is because of him we are alive today. Jasmine Taylor, head of the engineering department, it is her who created these great architecture wonders which allowed us to live a suitable life on this planet. Kevin Lee, whom we affectionately call ‘Kong’ because of his large size. Kevin is the head of our security department. Damian Richards, former shuttle pilot for the Zimmerman expedition. He now designs and builds shuttle crafts for us to explore the great regions of Plegethon. Finally, there is Mariam Waters! Head of the Science Department, it is your friend Tyrion Lannister who now works in her department.”

“What about my brother, Jon?”

“He is in Richards’.”

“What about me?”

“You are under my department.”

“And what do I do?”

At this, everyone in the room started to laugh. Petyr was the only one not laughing, but that did not stop him for shooting me a lop-sided grin before he leaned further back in his seat and stretched his arm across the back of the couch just behind my head. I blushed slightly as he looked at me with a hardened gaze, his silvery eyes were like iron: steely and impenetrable, but I could see a hint of fire behind those cold, calculating eyes. “You will learn _everything,_ ” he replied in a chilling voice. “I will teach you everything I know, and in time you will learn how Plegethon should be run. If you prove yourself successful, then I shall make you my equal in _all_ things.”

Petyr turned to the people of the room and asked, “Does anyone have any concerns they would like to address?”

“How can we trust them?” Damian asked. I noticed he was a young-looking man in a dark grey uniform, his sleeves were rolled up to show his arms were covered in ink, dragon tattoos curled up his arms. He looked at me curiously, but there was no malice in his eyes.

“We will have to try. Has Jon Snow given you reason to worry?”

“He’s an A.I. sympathetic.”

“So is Sansa Stark, but in time they will learn our ways.”

“Tyrion is most vocal,” Mariam piped up. “He does not understand why we don’t use modern day technology at all. I even saw him getting tools together to build a micro-computer.”

“Kong, have your men keep an eye on him.”

The large man grunted in reply, he was a great burly man with large rounded shoulders and a body that could strike terror to those who opposed him. _No wonder they call him Kong,_ I thought, as I pictured the black-and-white film version of King Kong atop the New York Empire State Building, pounding his chest in fury at anyone who threatened his life or the women he loved.

“Sansa,” Petyr said in a silky voice, and that made me turn to my left to see his face inexplicably close to mine. “I would like you to speak to Tyrion. Perhaps, you can talk some sense into him, otherwise…”  his voice trailed off. He stroked the side of his beard as a puzzling smirk spread across his face. “He will know what _true fear_ tastes like.”

Petyr suddenly stood to his feet and offered his hand for me to take. “This meeting is cut short today. I intend to show Sansa around Plegethon while the sun is still up. I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow and remember if you sense any signs of weakness from our new crew members- exterminate them.

All of those in attendance came to shake our hands and offer a few kind words. Damian Richards shook my hand the longest, it felt like his eyes were burrowing into my soul as he uttered, “I can only hope we can trust you.”

“I would trust her with my life,” Petyr cut in. He stood upright till his back was completely straight. “And you will too.”

Damian nodded his head in understanding before he went below, following the rest of the councilmen down the steep steps.

Petyr let out a long sigh and leaned on his cane. I rubbed his back soothingly and asked him what was the matter. “Just the demons raging in my head,” he drawled. He stood upright and smoothed down the wrinkles in his tight-fitting uniform before he uttered, “It is time to show you everything. Come with me.”

* * *

“Would you really murder my brother?” I asked, as we walked down the dusty red steps. It was wide enough for us to walk side by side, but I let go of Petyr’s arm when I asked him that question.

“I would kill _anyone_ who stands in my way.”

“Even me?”

“Even you.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You seem so certain of it,” he droned, as he looked at me from the corner of his eye.

“You may be capable of many things but not _that.”_

“I will do anything to protect Elisium. I’d die for it, if I have too.”

“Does it really mean that much to you?”

“It means the world to me,” he breathed.

“But it is natural for humans to evolve- to grow-”

“But not to become like that-”

“Have you even tried it?” I argued.

“I don’t need to. I have seen what they do to you-”

“What if you’re wrong?” I interjected. “What if this is a necessary progression for our future-”

“Or the destruction of it!”

“You have no proof!”

“I’ve seen it with my own eyes!” he bellowed. He banged the bottom of his cane hard on the staircase before he started to descend the steps.

“You’re afraid,” I realized. He was breathing heavily under my fixed gaze. “What are you afraid of?”

His face twitched for a moment as he looked at me, as though he was in pain. He then let out a low growl before he hobbled down the steps without me.

“What did you see?” I called out, after he was a few steps away from me.

“I’ll have no more questions,” he said in a fearfully low voice. Petyr continued to make his way downstairs, so I had no choice but to follow him.

It wasn’t until we were in the main hallway of the lower levels that Petyr finally spoke up. “We are now in the heart of Plegethon! What you see here is the colony that we have built here over the past five years. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to show you all of it today, but I will let you see the one that are important. The hallway on my right lead to the Science and Medical Department. You were stationed there when you were first taken in for your wounds-”

“And to remove my chip,” I said resentfully.

“A necessary procedure, as you are well aware of,” he said in equal ill-humour. He pointed to the hallway just in front of us and noted, “Directly ahead of us is the business department. A few trade shops are located there. I have designed a basic monetary paying system for Elisium. Everyone has his or her own money now. It is a self-identifiable card that you swipe across a machine-”

“I thought you don’t use machines!”

“We are not primitives!” he rebutted. “We don’t abandon technology all together. No, I only ensure we take the necessary precaution so that…” he paused, and his lips puckered with displeasure. “It is no matter,” he quietly said, as he stared down the empty hallway as though he was slipping away into a distance thought. After a while he cleared his throat and uttered, “This area is also known as the ‘Entertainment District.’ You are welcome to come here on your time off. There will be some places where you won’t have to pay at all. Just tell them your name and they will take care of you. I shall send you the list of the places I own… a few shops, a restaurant, a brothel-”

“Brothel,” I said with disgust.

“Yes, it has proven to be a huge success so far. If it continues this way, then I really will be the King of Plegethon.” He turned his attention to the left where a huge crowd was forming, all of them were in grey uniforms as they talked among themselves. “Over there is the observation deck,” he noted. “And beyond that is the hanger where all the shuttle crafts are kept. We have four so far, including a private one which I _own._ ” He paused and tilted his head in the direction of the crowd. “Those are mostly engineers, you will know them by their grey uniforms. A few of them are shuttle pilots as well. The shuttle you were carried on yesterday is called, “The Damian,” after Damian Richards, of course. It was the first shuttle designed by him, it is operated to carry only two passengers at a time, so it is mostly a scavenger ship… we use it to investigate treacherous areas, like the area where you shuttle crashed for example.” He paused and averted his gaze back to me. “I have heard how the two pilots treated you and your companions. Believe me when I say they have been _dealt_ with.”

His cane tapped on the floor before he made his way to the Science Department. The hallways were brighter here because of the reflective pale white walls and floors. Our uniforms blended into this blindless state, only my dark auburn curls contrasted off this universal colour. Petyr looked startled by this fact and smiled as he held a stray curl resting on my shoulder. He twirled it around his finger and remarked, “What a curious shade,” before he continued his venture. The doorway was made of white light and opened as we approached it, he offered me his arm before we entered in the room. I heard a low buzzing sound, a ticking chime like a clock on a wall and hush voices scattered around the room. The scientists were all dressed in white uniforms, to consumed with their work to notice us.

“Stay close to me,” Petyr whispered. He led me through the room, careful not to disturb the workers. I noticed they were working on machines, others were pouring chemicals into long plastic tubes with a steady hand. Many of them wore white masks, similar to the one Petyr had when I fist saw him in the gas filled hospital room. I saw Mariam atop of the staircase, she was looking down at the workers with a precarious gaze. She caught my eye and nodded her head slightly before she turned away. The clicking sound continued as we made our way to the back of the room, Petyr’s ringed fingers pulled back the white drapes to reveal a dwarf steadily working at his desk.

“Doctor Tyrion,” Petyr said easily. He waited till the Imp turned around before he offered him a smile that did not match his eyes. “I am delighted to meet you at last.”

“Yes, I know who you are! You own the god damn institution.”

“You are mistaken,” Petyr said softly. “I don’t own anything.”

“That’s not what everyone else says,” Tyrion retorted, after he put down his pen. “Sansa, I’m glad to see you looking so well.”

“I could say the same for you.”

“Yes, they patched me up nice, didn’t they? Though they could have used proper medical equipment,” Tyrion pointed out. “Ones that are quick and painless.”

“And dangerous,” Petyr cut in.

“Hmph! You’re just as paranoid as the rest of them. Sansa, I hope you aren’t the same.”

“No.”

“For now,” Petyr relayed in a smooth voice I turned to him and noticed how soft those grey-green eyes were when they looked back at me. I reached for his hand and held it in mine, interlacing our fingers together, feeling the need to be as close to him as possible.

“You must remember there are two sides to every story, Tyrion,” I pointed out, once I turned my gaze back to him.

“Oh, Sansa! How easily your mind can be swayed,” he bemoaned. “Fortunately, mine is not so easy. I think you’re wrong, Lord Baelish! I admit you have built a colossus fortress, one that defies the basic laws of physics, but you’re still wrong. Technology is necessary for advancement-”

“I have no issues with technology,” Petyr interjected. “I have issues with A.I.”

“And they have issues with you, with the weapons you’re building.”

“Every enemy has a weakness-”

“Not if you’re imagining one! Vasken is willing to cohabitate with your people. Let me contact them and have their assurance that they will come to no harm.”

“You will do no such thing.”

“We were allowed ten days on this planet, and whether you like it or not they will come looking for us-”

“Not if the think you’re dead,” Petyr gloated with half a smile.

“There are other ways of tracking us then chips.”

 _It was a bluff,_ I realized, as Tyrion stealthily gave me a warning look to call it out.

“In that case I really have no other choice but to kill you.”

Tyrion swallowed hard, not expecting this to come. Petyr took a step forward, but I held him back. “He’s lying!” I shouted and pulled at his arm a little harder after I uttered it. “There is no _other_ way.”

“If you’re covering for him-”

“I’m not. I’m telling you the truth.”

Petyr looked between the pair of us before he lowered his cane to the floor. His fingers quickly tightened the silver hilt before it snapped back into place. “I suggest you get back to work,” he advised.

“And what if I don’t?”

“Then I’ll relocate you,” he snarled. His eyes were dead-pan like a shark closing in for an attack. Tyrion snapped the bones in his fingers nervously before he retrieved his pen and went back to the calculus equations. Petyr threw back the drapes in anger as he stormed out. I was about to exit the room as well, but Tyrion held me back and whispered, “Be careful with him.”

“I will,” I assured him before I exited his office. I caught Petyr standing off to the side, he was scratching the back of his neck irritably while he was looking at a chalkboard full of numbers. I stood next to him before I asked if he understood the complex equations.

“Some. I’m good with numbers- I’m good with words…” he turned his head to look at me. “I’m good with women too.”

“See! Changeful and abrupt. There is no telling what you’ll do next.”

“That will keep things interesting between us.” He took my hand and led me between the working tables. “Everything you see here is for the benefit of Elisium. See, this projection shows us the very first suits used in the Zimmerman Project. I sponsored this expedition and provided the funds for these space suits.” He pointed at the projection on the wall and added, “Suits that defy nature! That’s what I call it when they were first rolled out. The ingenuity of it is that it takes air that is not oxygen and transfer it into breathable air. Much like the technology astronauts used in the twenty-first century where they used undrinkable water and purified it into a drinkable one. “

Petyr took my hand and led me to a glass case that displayed five different space suits; there was a progression of them along the wall, all representing a different model, it was the last one that Petyr pointed out. “I call it ‘Ranium.’ We will be wearing that one today. Mariam refers to it as smart suits because it anticipates your needs before you even realize it.”

“So, there is a computer?”

“A small one. Nothing of consequence.” He patted his knee while adding, “Mine is outfitted to help me walk properly. A special gift from Mariam.”

“You won’t need your cane?”

“No, which is good since we have a lot of climbing to do. I’m going to take you on a tour- a _real_ tour.”

“Of Plegethon?”

“Yes, my sweet. I think it’s about time they fit your suit.” Petyr caught my worried expression and added, “Don’t you worry. It’s nothing like Vasken. We won’t _upgrade_ you.”

“Then what will you do?”

“Put it on the old-fashioned way,” he replied. “Come along, I’ll take you to the changerooms.”

He took me to a brightly lit changeroom where a woman took my measurements. Petyr was leaning against the wall watching, every now and then he would punch something into a tablet that was mounted on the wall.

“This is her first time, Lisa, so program her suit with the beginner module.”

“Yes, sir.” She looked over her shoulder when she asked, “Are you taking her to the Devil’s Claw?”

“No.”

“The metal valley?”

“No.”

“The volcanic eruptions near-”

“No.”

“The Crystal Caves?”

“Yes.”

“Ohhhh,” she cooed, like a little girl. “She’s going to like that.” She leaned into me and whispered, “It’s a bit romantic,” and followed that with a wink.

I looked up at Petyr, but luckily his attention was too consumed with the tablet. “What’s it like? The caves?”

“Its beautiful! I can only hope you can swim.”

“But there is no water on this planet.”

“This planet is not supposed to be habitable for humans, remember? I should be chocking on the lack of oxygen right now, but-”

“Lisa, are you quite done,” Petyr interrupted.

“Almost!” She leaned in to whisper, “You’d think they’re gods. Defying nature! Ah, but nature will always win in the end.” She shook her head, her tied up ponytail flapped side to side as she uttered, “Haven’t they heard of the story Prometheus?”

“Prometheus?” I mouthed, as I shot a glance at Petyr. He was rubbing the bottom of his chin as he fiddled with the tablet, punching things in at a lightening pace.

“There’s oxygen machines all over the colony,” Lisa remarked. “And then there’s the water-”

“What about the water?”

“It should be solid form, cold as ice,” she said in a hush voice. She looked behind her to make sure Petyr wasn’t listening when she added, “But its all liquid now. Drinkable liquid! Enough for me to drink and piss-”

“Lisa!” Petyr snapped, finally clueing in on what we were saying. “You have exactly one minute to finish your measurements.”

“I’m done,” she said after ten seconds. She quickly scampered out the room with a look of fear.

I turned my gaze back to Petyr and found he was slowly approaching me, his eyes never leaving mine as he came closer and closer. If his eyes were as dead-pan as a shark earlier, it was now filled with uncontrollable hunger that he couldn’t shake. I swallowed hard as he approached me, and in strained voice I asked, “Why are our suits exactly the same? Yes, they are white like everyone else, but I have this…” I pointed to the bird sigil planted over my chest.

“My mockingbird,” he said coolly.

“Why am I the only one?”

“Because I _chose_ you,” he answered, as he stepped onto the platform.

“Why did you choose me?” I asked in a hush voice, the sound barely coming out of my mouth when he was so close to me, as he was now. Petyr didn’t answer my question, instead he placed a finger underneath my chin and inclined my head upwards. He kissed me open mouthed, like a wildness had suddenly consumed him. His hands grappled at my waist to pull me in, and he tilted his head slightly, so he could taste more of me. I stood there puzzled by this man’s sudden need for me, and yet, I was aroused by the way he continued to kiss me, as each one grew deeper than before. He was drawing me under his spell, I could feel it, but I was afraid what would happen if I followed. Common sense was dwindling away the longer his lips were firmly pressed against mine, and soon I found myself giving into his desire as well. I let out a sharp moan as his tongue entered my mouth, and I instinctively pressed myself against his hardness. My hands glided around his firm back, clawing at the smooth fabric as he pinned his hands against the curve of my hips. He let out a low growl as he pressed me into him, applying more pressure as I began to kiss him back. _What will become of me,_ I wondered, once I started to feel him pushing me into an unknown direction while his lips were still on mine. I suddenly found myself in a private changeroom, and he gave me a lustful stare as I took a step back. He reached behind him to place his hand on a virtual scanning lock. The lights around his hands went from blue to red, and then it flashed brightly before the metal doors shut behind us with a distinctive click.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally wrote an entirely different chapter but I hated it lol. That's why it has taken me so long to update "To the Stars and Back" fic. I am much happier with this one, and can only hope you guys enjoyed it too.


	8. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lord Baelish has scars, and they run a lot deeper than the one carved into his chest.

“Petyr,” I fearfully said, still stepping backwards under his heated gaze.

“Yes, sweetling,” he said from the corner of his lips, his mouth barely moving as he uttered it.

“Wha- what are you doing?” I asked, before I fell back on a circular sofa. _Christ,_ I turned back and saw it was large enough for…. oh no…

“You don't have to be afraid,” he breathed, there was a strange glimmer in his eyes as he stared down at me.

“I’m not afraid,” I said in a weak voice, it faltered after the first word.

“No?” Petyr teased, as he took another step forward.

“No.”

He smirked at me, nodding his head slightly as he gave me an approving look. “Then come here.”

 _No,_ I thought, but I got off the couch and gave him a defiant stare.

His smirk grew wider before he uttered, “You’re stubborn.”

“Maybe I am.”

“Good.” He took another step forward, the low thud of his cane accompanied it. “I like a girl who has a will of her own.”

My nervousness was betrayed again once he began to edge himself closer. “Come here, Sansa.”

“Why?”

“I want you to kiss me.”

I opened my mouth to make a smart reply, but for once in my life I was speechless.

“Will you kiss me, or shall I?”

I licked my lips, uncertain what to say or do. He maintained that heavy gaze, never ceasing even when I faltered and let my eyes drop away from him. Petyr was growing impatient, I could feel it, sense it by the way his hand irritably gripped at the hilt of his cane.

I knew what he wanted, but did I want it too? I found my feet gravitating to him on it's own accord, as if fate had other plans for me. Petyr shot me a lecherous grin, the lines around his mouth stretched along his face making him fearful to look at. _He’s looks like the Devil,_ I thought, as I bit down on my lower lip again.

Petyr dropped his cane to the floor and placed his hands on the sides of my cheek, steering my face in so he could kiss me. I felt his hunger, his desire the moment his lips touched mine. I found myself trembling under his heedy touch, the quickness of his hands as he unzipped the front of my uniform and pulled it down to reveal my bare shoulders. Still, his lips never left mine, as he pulled it down further to reveal my arms. _His touch felt so good,_ I thought, as I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck, pressing my exposed chest against his uniform. Petyr let me kiss him as he tried to work the sleeves off my wrists, and once it was free he pulled the uniform down till it hugged my waist.

“I know you want it,” he breathed, the moment I made an audible cry and shudder at the way his hands tore down the rest of my uniform. He bent down on his knees and untied my shoes, placing it off to the side once he was done. He was silent when he lifted up my leg to untangle the ends of my uniform around my ankle. As he was working on my left leg I took the opportunity to rub down the length of his back, it only seemed to quicken his movements. He looked up at me with a terrible grin before he leaned his face forward and bared his teeth, I let out a shudder when his teeth pinched the hem of my panties and lifted it off my skin. He began to pull it down slowly with his teeth, his eyes never ceasing to leave mine. His hands did the rest, and once I was free of it he grabbed my waist and steered me to the sofa.

“Kiss me,” he ordered, once I was just a few inches from the sofa. I did kiss him, inexplicably so, and he just stood there enjoying it as he began to unzip his uniform as well. “Kiss me like you mean it,” he hushed, after he cupped my cheek. I kissed the side of his face, and then down his neck and the gap of flesh exposed in between his unzipped uniform. I took a lesson from him, and wrapped my lips around the zipper before my teeth latched onto it.

“That’s right,” he said in a dangerously low tenor as I began to unzip the length of his uniform. He was stroking my hair away from my face as I went down, and he seemed to groan when I reached the end, it was right above his waist line. I finally looked up at him and saw a long silver scar down the front of his chest. “Ugly, isn't it?”

I took a step back, blinking all the while as I started at the marred chest with a scar trailing from neck to navel.

“What-”

“Happened?” he uttered. Petyr gave me half a shrug and answered, “A long story. Something I don’t want to talk about now.”

I gave him a look of sympathy, which he hated it. His hands were on the zipper, ready to zip it up again, but I stopped him by crying out, “Wait! Don’t…”

His hands hesitated, his eyes fixed on the wound with a look of sorrow. “Maybe this was a mistake.”

“No, it isn't.”

Petyr’s face darkened as he zipped up his suit. “I’ll send for Lisa,” he said in a voice that was not his own.

“Petyr, wait!” I entreated. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not ready,” he replied, his stormy eyes were downcast as he uttered it. “I’m sorry.”

I went over to him and held his hand in my own. “Don't be! Just tell me about it.”

“I can't,” he breathed, and let go of my hand so he could unlock the door. “I’m sorry,” he said over his shoulder before he left the room.

* * *

When I saw Petyr again he was on top of the platform, dressed in a bright orange space suit with his helmet on. His back was towards me, but I could see him tinkering with the helmet, punching in things to the side of his helmet.

“Petyr,” I said sadly, and that made him turn around to face me. It was hard to see his expression in that reflective helmet, and I hated him for it.

“Sansa,” he drowned, his voice echoed in the space suit. “You’re dressed. Good.”

“We need to talk.”

“No time. I told Richards we would be there by noon and we are already running late.”

“Then make time.”

“I don't want to talk about it,” he replied.

“Will you take off that stupid helmet!” I snapped. He pressed a button to the side and unlatched the helmet till he was free of it. His face was dead-pan, his eyes cold as ice. “What are you not telling me? What's the matter with you?”

“Its me,” he said softly. “Its…”

“Petyr.”

“Its nothing,” he said in a deep voice, and put on back his helmet. “We haven't much time. Let’s go.”

I wanted to put my foot down and tell him no but he was already out the door.

Petyr looked taller as he strode down the main hallways, his walk was brisk and to the point as he weaved his way through the crowd. _If only he could tell me what's bothering him,_ I surmised, _maybe I can help him._

He looked back occasionally, making sure I was keeping up with him. _I liked him better with the cane,_ I thought spitefully, _before I started to jog just to keep up with him._

There was a honk ahead of us, and I saw the crowd parting as a series of beeps echoed down the hallway. “Move to the sides!” A man yelled ahead of us, and once the crowd parted I saw a buggy appear in the center of the hall, reversing at a frightening pace.

“Petyr!” I called out in warning, but he stayed where he was. I ran towards him to push him to the sides before he asked me what I was doing.

“Saving you, you ungrateful-”

“Sansa, that's our ride,” he explained. He waved the car down until it stopped just beside us. “Hello Douglas.”

“Pete!” the driver yelled, he was a large black man with a South American accent. “How’s it going man?”

“Just fine.”

“Oh, you got a girl with you, huh? About time!”

Petyr went around the buggy and sat in the passenger seat, leaving me to open the back door on my own.

“Oh, it's not like that,” Douglas realized.

“Just drive,” Petyr growled.

“Bad humour, huh? What happened you woke up on the wrong side of the bed?” He turned around to say, “My name’s Douglas by the way.”

“Sansa.”

“Now that's a beautiful name.” He turned back to Petyr and added, “Isn't it, Pete?”

“I said _drive_.”

“I’ve never seen you like this,” Douglas remarked, once he stepped on the gas pedal. “Always thought you were a robot, but you hate those things. What about a Vulcan?”

“Vulcan?”

“You know, Star Trek!”

“What?” Petyr said with annoyance.

“Man you really need to get out of that place of yours now and then. You know that TV show.”

“No.”

“Sansa, do you-”

“Yes,” I interrupted. “I grew up on that stuff.”

“Live Long and Prosper,” he joked, as eyed me from the car mirror. “I like you! You're something special.”

“I’m glad someone noticed,” I grumbled as I looked out the window.

“That was for you,” Douglas noted, as he poked Petyr’s space suit. “Cause that _sure_ ain't for me.”

Petyr looked out the car window as well, and then everything lapsed into an awkward silence.

The hallway whizzed by us, people were familiar enough with the sight of an incoming buggy to know they had to move off to the side. Douglas occasionally honked his horn if someone wasn't paying attention. He was playing some upbeat Motown music from his small speakers, and that was enough to mitigate the ongoing silence. Fortunately, for us, Douglas turned down a ramp and soon we were in the hanger where all the shuttles were stored.

“Right on time!” Douglas shouted with a pleased look. “Now, you two be good you hear. Be careful out there, that trip ain't for the light-hearted.”

“We’ll be fine,” Pertyr assured him before he got out the car.

“Grumpy, ain't he?” Douglas noted, as he turned around to look at me. “You’ll fix him up, won’t you?”

“I’ll try.”

“He’s worse than Spock, I’ll tell yah!” He waved me a goodbye as I slid out my seat. “Take care of yourself, Sansa.”

“Thanks. You too,” I said solemnly, before I slammed the door.

Petyr was waiting for me with his arms crossed, when I finally did appear he made his way down the stairs towards an all black shuttlecraft.

“Sansa, is that you?” a voice called out beside me. I turned my head to see Jon jogging towards me, dressed in a smokey grey uniform.

“Jon!” I cried out, and hugged him the minute he was close enough to do so.

“I heard you were coming down I was waiting for you. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. You?”

“I’m good. Working on the shuttles. Same thing as Vasken.”

“Yeah.”

“I miss it though. I miss my girlfriend… I miss home.”

“I know what you mean.”

“Do you think they’ll keep us here forever?”

“I don’t know.”

“I heard your with the boss. The guy who runs this place.”

“Well…”

“This is great for us.”

“You think?”

“Yeah! We could go home. You just have to convince him!”

“Its not that easy.”

“Sure it is! He likes you, doesn't he? Everyone likes you.”

I bit down on my lip, unsure what to say to him.

“Sansa,” Petyr drowned, he was suddenly at my side, his gloved hand resting at the bottom of my spine. “We have to go.”

I turned to see him still in his helmet, but I could imagine what his face looked like at that exact moment.

“Okay.” I turned to Jon and gave him one last hug.

“Is that him?” he whispered.

“Yeah.”

Jon let go of me and gave the suited man an overprotective glare. “So, you’re Lord Baelish?”

“I am.”

“You better take care of her. She’s the only thing I have left.”

“I will,” Petyr replied, his voice sounded muffled in his helmet. “Sansa, its time-”

“I know,” I replied, and took his hand in my own without realizing it. His hand tensed, but it soon moulded into my own. Jon raised his hand in the air as we walked away. _Goodbye Jon,_ I thought, before I turned my head to the huge shuttlecraft waiting for us.

* * *

"Glad to see you guys could make it,” Richards said in a sarcastic tone. He was wearing one of those pale white masks over his face, but his eye holes were a sheen black, probably to protect his eyes from the bright reflective lights from the planet’s surface.

“Yes, we’re late. Get over it,” Petyr quipped in a gruff voice.

“I see your worse than your usual self,” the Captain observed. “I hope you have nothing to do with it,” he added, as his gaze transferred to me.

“I didn't-”

“Leave her alone, will you?” Petyr snapped. He sat down in a seat in the front row. “Sansa, sit next to me.”

“Now you have me at a loss,” Richards noted, as he watched me take a seat. “I thought you two had an argument.”

“And what gave you that idea,” Petyr barked back.

“Your short temper for one thing,” Richards replied. “And since when did you want to go to the Crystal Caves?”

Petyr didn't reply, but I saw his right hand reflex as though he was still holding his cane.

“You're trying to make it up to her, plain and simple.”

“Richards,” Petyr growled.

“Obviously, you don't want to talk about it. I understand…” he pointed at me when he added, “But she might?”

“I’m fine,” I answered, not needing someone to stand up for me.

“Yes, I can see that,” Richards retorted before he turned around to take the Captain’s seat.

“I have a confession to make,” Petyr murmured, and I turned my head with anticipation. _Finally! It’s about time he tells me what the hell is going on._

Petyr turned his head to me and muttered, “This isn't going to be easy for me…”

“That's alright, Petyr, I'll understand.”

“The thing is…”

“Yes?”

“I’m afraid of heights.”

“What?” I exclaimed.

“So, we have to stay close to each other once we get to the Crystal Caves. That’s what Richards was referring too.”

“I thought you were going to tell me about your scar!”

“What? No, I wouldn't… Sansa, I’m not…”

“Is it so hard?”

“Yes, it is actually.”

“You just like to be all mysterious,” I said in a mocking voice. “Well, here’s news for you, that is no way to turn a women on!”

“Sansa,” Petyr moaned.

“Leaving me in the changeroom like that,” I added. “What kind of man does that?”

“It was a mistake.”

“Yes, clearly! One I _won't_ be making again.”

“Sansa, listen to me-”

“I’m done listening,” I shot back and unbuckled my seatbelt so I could move a few seats away from him. He stared at me, but I refused to give in- not this time.

At that exact moment Richards turned around to look at us and laughed at the sight of four chairs situated between us. “Petyr, I got to take you out more. Cause you sure don't know how to do this!”

Petyr crossed his arms and stared out at the window in front of him, waiting for the hanger doors to open.

 _This is going to be a very long ride,_ I mused, as I crossed my arms as well and stared out into the distance, waiting for those damn doors to open so I could at least get this day over with.


	9. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shuttlecraft flies into an impenetrable sandstorm, and Petyr and Sansa finally learn what true fear tastes like.

I looked over and saw Petyr was still staring straight ahead. _What a knobhead,_ I thought, as I crossed my arms tighter against my chest.

We were still waiting for the bloody hanger to open, it seemed the engineers we're taking their sweet time to open it. I sighed and took off my helmet, feeling there was no need to keep it on just yet. I was stroking my hair back when I heard Petyr’s heavy boots clammer against the floor. He took a seat next to me and pulled off his helmet as well.

“What do you want?”

“Sansa, I’m sorry.”

“It's a little too late for that.”

Petyr stared ahead, the lids of his eyes blinked slowly as something was churning in his mind. “I was wrong.”

“Yeah!” I turned my head and added, “What were the hell were you thinking?”

He bit down on his inner cheek, while he looked at the ceiling. “I wasn’t thinking,” he murmured. “Well, I was but I was thinking the wrong thing.”

Petyr paused and fidgeted with his helmet in his hand. “I was thinking about the past, but I shouldn't let the get in the way of the present.” He looked at me when he added, “Of us.”

“I told you we could talk about it.”

“I don't want to,” Petyr groaned, as his chin lowered to his chest.

“Then I can't help you.”

The hanger doors began to lift open, and Petyr put on his helmet. “I don't need help,” he replied through the muffled speakers of his space suit.

“Everyone needs help,” I pointed out. “Everyone needs everyone.”

“I only need you,” he softly said, it barely came out of the speakers at all. I leaned in and kissed his glass visor before I put on my helmet as well.

“So, your afraid of heights, huh?”

“They’re not my favorite.”

“And you are taking me there because…”

“You’ll see.”

I leaned into his body, and Petyr in turn wrapped his arm around me. _This could work,_ I thought, _he just needs to trust me._ I tilted my head in his direction and caught him looking at me. _And he needs to tell me about his scar… and what happened to his knee… and now that I think about he has to tell me a lot of things._

“Do you enjoy it?” I asked.

“Enjoy what?”

“Being so _secretive._ ”

“Maybe.”

“It's annoying.”

“Always keep your foes confused, that way you don't know what you plan to do next,” he advised. “And right now I don't know if you are a friend or foe.”

“I’m a friend.”

“Does that mean you are on my side?”

“Of course I’m on your side!” I exclaimed, my voice was suddenly raised as the engines started to blare beneath us. The shuttle was inching its way out the hanger door into the bright lights of Plegethon.

“I knew you would come around eventually.”

“Well, if you do that nonsense in the changeroom again I won't.”

“That scar,” Petyr noted as he laid his hand over his chest. “The scar runs deeper than the one on my chest. Have you ever been in love, Sansa?”

“No, I don't think so.”

“I did once. I loved her more than life itself.” He dropped his hand into his lap when he uttered, “She destroyed me in the end. Now, I’m like- I’m like an empty shell… I’m not the man I once was.” His voice suddenly tensed up when he related, “Now, I am only filled with hate. It's amazing what it can do to you… _hate_ …”

The shuttlecraft started to elevate off the floor, which left us rocking violently in our seats. “Hold on!” Richards yelled. “There’s a storm coming.” He was right, the sky was swirling red, as the sand flew in a whirlwind across the glass screen. The wind howled around our ship, rocking it from side to side as Richards continued to elevate. “It's no use!” he yelled. “Petyr, we should turn back around.”

“Stay leveled to the ground. The wind is coming from the East, so go with the wind- not against it.”

“But that will take us two times longer to get there!”

“Would you rather going into the headwind.”

“I’d rather keep my arse home,” Richards said in a mocking voice with his best Irish impersonation.

“Richards,” Petyr said in a stern voice.

“Can’t say I didn't warn you,” he answered, before he spun the wheel sharply and made the shuttle swivel westward.

The wind made the shuttle accelerate at an ungodly pace, making us whizz through the storm like lightning. “Shit!” Richards yelled, as he barely avoided a large sand boulder. “I haven't been this way in ages.”

“We call this area the Dunes,” Petyr explained as he leaned into me. “We lost half of the Zimmerman crew out here. They didn't know how soft the sand was- one misstep and you sink.” He had to tell me over the howling wind as he remarked, “Fortunately, I was wise enough to stay in the caves. The others weren’t so lucky.”

The screen went completely red as the sand covered up the entire window. “For the love of…” Richards tore off his helmet and pressed a few buttons ahead of him.

“What are you doing?”

“Auto-pilot, or what's left of it. I can't see, Petyr, how do you expect me to fly this thing?”

“But that map is two years old.”

“Have you a better idea!”

“No.”

“Trying to impress your girlfriend,” Richards grumbled. “Look where it's got us.”

“Couldn't you stop?”

“And wait out the storm? You know this thing could last for days, and I have no intention of being out here after dark.”

“Have you ever felt fear?” Petyr whispered to me. “Being out here at night, that is true fear. It's not like Earth, there is no moon and the stars can scarcely be seen out here. Complete darkness, only the grating sound of sand rubbing against stones can be heard. It's enough to drive one to madness.”

The ship rocked violently from a gust of wind and the nose of the ship tilted down. “No, no, no!” Richards cried as he wrestled with the steering wheel. “Shit, that was close.”

“We need to land.”

“And fall into one of those dunes no way.”

“Will fall into it either way.”

“Just give me a minute!”

“We don't have a minute-”

“”It was your stupid idea-”

“I know it was mine,” Petyr admitted, after he unbuckled his seatbelt. “But I don't intend to die here.” Petyr walked over to the Captain’s chair and gripped the seat before he continued, “We need to find a way out of here, or we’re all going to die.”

“Right?” Richards said with slight panic. “I can use manual override-”

“Except we don't know where we are going.”

“What if we did!”

“Those maps are too old and unreliable. You might as well turn around while we still can.”

“Wait!” Richards yelled, before Petyr fell on top of him. The ship was rocking violently again, a series of groans warned us the end was near. “Ali! I remember Captain Ali went this way last month, and he documented this area. Shit! Where did he put it?”

Richards unbuckled his seat and told Petyr to sit in his chair. “I’m not sitting in your chair,” Petyr said like a spoiled brat. “You put us in this mess! You’re sitting in the _damn_ chair.”

Richards ran off to the back of the ship. The room was quiet, aside for the blaring noise of the emergency horns sounding off at the back of the ship and the sharp grating noise of the sand against the glass. “I’m sorry, Sansa,” Petyr apologized as he turned around to face me. “I just wanted you to see it.”

“We’re going to make it,” I assured him.

He turned around and faced the glass window again, it was hard to believe that when the entire screen went black, not a shred of light could be seen because of the sandstorm. _We’re going to make it,_ I told myself, but that last bit of hope slipped away the moment the front of the ship started to drop towards the ground.

* * *

"Sansa? Sansa, are you alright?” I blinked open my eyes, but my vision was blurry. “Oh god, what have I done?”

“No, leave the helmet on!” Richards urged. “Just in case.”

“Sansa, can you hear me?”

“She’s breathing that's for sure. A bloody miracle.”

“I don't believe in such things.”

“You should… I mean look at what fell on her head.”

“Aren't you needed somewhere else?”

“I put in Ali’s charting sheet. The computer should take care of the rest.”

“This is all my fault,” Petyr wailed. I felt him lift me up slightly and stretch my body across his legs.

“You can't keep blaming yourself for everything, Pete.” there was a slight pause before he added, “You can't keep blaming yourself for the things that happened _then_ or now.”

“You think it's easy blaming myself for all that I’ve done- all that I’ve seen.”

“You were in love, plain and simple.”

“I was a fool, Damian. A god damn fool.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

“You forget I don’t sleep,” Petyr relayed in utter misery.

“Petyr,” I breathed, and lifted up my hand in the air.

“Thank god, you're awake! Sansa, how do you feel?”

I grunted in reply and let my hand fall back to the floor.

“I’ll get first aid and contact headquarters. They might know what to do.” I heard Richards get off the floor and leave us.

“Can I take off your helmet?” Petyr asked softly.

“Yeah.”

Petyr pushed down on the side button and gently removed my helmet. I heard him place it to the side, and to my dismay my sight was still slightly blurry. I had a painful headache which made me groan aloud as I saw the bright emergency lights flicker across my eyes. “How do you feel?” he asked.

“Pain.”

“Your head.”

“Yes.”

“Luggage hit you when we were crashing. Richards came in time to stop it from crashing completely but we basically nose dived in mid-air.”

I grunted in reply and covered my eyes with the back of my hand. “I should have never come this far. What was I thinking?"

“Petyr,” I hushed. “Will you stop talking and just kiss me?”

He laughed at that, and I realized that was the first time I ever heard him truly laugh. “Were you not knocked on the head hard enough?”

I nuzzled my cheek into his thigh and let out a long sigh.

“I’ve got ice. I think she might have had a minor concussion. We should take her back.”

“I agree.”

“There is only one problem… the course is already set for the Crystal Caves.”

“Then reset it.”

“I can't,” Richards said with bitter resentment. “Once the codes are punched into the system there is no way to alter it.”

“Could you not restart it?”

“I might lose Ali’s records. Then we’re really screwed.”

“So, we can only go forwards.”

“Through a raging storm and with the approachment of darkness- yes, we can only go forwards,” Richards said in a sarcastic tone.

“When do you think the sun will set?”

“I can double check on the computer, but I think it's around 18:00 hours.”

“So, will be in the caves by then?” Petyr asked, as he interlaced his fingers together with mine.

“Yeah, but not enough to time turn back 'round again.”

Petyr let out a sharp exhale. “Will be out here at _night?_ ”

Richards answered him by getting off the floor and heading towards the back of the ship. I heard Petyr crunch up the ice pack and break it until it started to chill on it's own. He placed it on my forehead gravely while his thoughts wandered in its own direction.

“Petyr, what's wrong?” I breathed. “What are you not telling me?”

“I’m afraid,” he said, and at that moment my vision started to clear. _He really is afraid,_ I thought, as I saw his eyebrows lover over his forehead. His eyes were black as night as he looked out in the distance, and I finally saw what true fear looks like as I stared into those horrified eyes of his.


	10. A Second Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As night approaches Petyr prepares for the worst. Sansa manages to have some time to rest and recover from her head injury, but she is startled to see Petyr in her bed when she finally wakes up. What's more, she is confused by what he mutters in his sleep. Will Petyr finally tell her about his nightmares, or is there no more room for a second chance?

“Right!” Richards yelled, as he entered into the room. “I want everyone to take one.”

“Guns?” Petyr said with a worried look.

“Guns,” Richards replied. He lifted up a hefty solar panel gun in the air and added, “Unless you want to die tonight.”

“Hand me one,” Petyr remarked as he got off the floor. “Sansa and I will need a lighter one.”

“Already on it! Handguns provided by Mariam.”

Petyr took the gun and strapped it to his waist. “What we do without her?”

“We’d be dead a long time ago.”

“Alright, let's move Sansa to somewhere more comfortable.” Petyr picked up the front half of me and Richards held my feet, and the next thing I knew I was being carried out of the room. “First guest room?”

“Exactly what I was thinking?”

“I can walk you know,” I noted, as they carried me down the long black and grey corridors.

“Not going to chance it,” Petyr said through gritted teeth.

“Petyr’s been an emotional wreck already. We don't want him to get any worse.”

“I have not been an emotional wreck, Richards!”

“No? Then why are you yelling?”

“Your a pain in the ass,” Petyr shot back.

“Look who’s talking!”

“Will you two stop!” I yelled, before the shuttle rocked, sending us all to the floor.

“What was that?” Petyr breathed.

“I think we stopped,” Richards replied, he was slow to get up again.

“Or we crashed.”

“We’d be dead if we crashed. I’m going to check it out.”

Petyr crawled towards me and asked, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. What do you think happened?”

“I don't know,” Petyr said in a strained voice. He lifted me off the ground and added, “I’ll take you some place safer. Come with me.”

He was on guard as he helped me down the halls, forever watching the dark corners as we walked past each room. “This place is huge,” I noticed, as I looked around curiously.

“It should be! This is the largest shuttle we have, and the safest. It is mostly used for emergencies, if anything happened to Elisium this is our escape route.”

“Then why are we on it now?”

“Because I want you to be safe,” Petyr said honestly. “We’re almost there. After you rest we can have something to eat.”

“That toast can only go so far,” I joked.

“Yeah, and I only had one bite.”

“What a day,” I murmured, as he tightened his arm around my waist.

“I’m more worried about the night.” Petyr unlocked the door with a hand scanner and pushed it open before he led me through. He helped me into bed and looked at my clunky space suit uneasily. “You should probably take that off.”

“I’ll need your help.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you do,” he said with a wink.

“Oh no, you lost your chance with that.” I ignored his annoyed look as I sat up on the bed and let my feet hit the floor before I worked my way out of the suit.

“You don't mean that, do you?” Petyr asked, as he placed the top half of my suit on the floor.

“I don't know. Are you going to do that nonsense again?”

“It depends…”

“Depends?”

He waited till I fully stood up with my back towards him before he answered, “If I think of _her._ ”

“Then don't,” I muttered, happy he wasn't able to see the painful expression flash across my face.

“I wish it was that easy.” He unlocked the bottom half and I was able to crawl out the rest of the suit. Once he set it on the floor I took his hands in my mine, not minding the coldness of his gloved hands.

“Do you still love her, Petyr?”

“No… I don't think so.” He paused, and all I could hear was the muffled sound of sand scratching across the shuttle’s surface. “Not anymore.”

“I’m not _her,_ you know.”

“I know.” The shuttlecraft suddenly rocked again, but this time it was hard enough for the shuttle to tilt violently off to the side. We both fell into the bed, and it wasn't until the floor leveled that Petyr got on his feet and sprinted out the door.

* * *

I don't remember falling asleep, but I must have, for when I opened my eyes Petyr was laying there beside me. His arm wrapped around my sides, his face nuzzled into a pillow, his mouth slightly opened as he let out gentle breaths. The room was dark, all but a single blue ray just in front of the door. I lifted my head to see Petyr’s suit next to mine, everything neatly tucked away as if we had done this before. I looked back at him, seeing him in a loose t-shirt and baggy grey pants. He looked worn out, so I rested my head on the pillow and let him sleep. I saw the lids of his eyes squint in pain suddenly and then he muttered, “No, stop. You can't…” he shifted in the bed, and then he rolled over completely. “Please, don’t… I won't let you…”

 _He’s having a dream,_ I realized, _or is it a nightmare?_ Petyr hand tightened, it clawed at the bed sheets until it wrinkled under his grip. “Don't do this to me,” he mumbled, and I could hear the agony in his voice. “Please, Jane.” he whispered, and then his voice fell away as he repeated, “Jane.”

He let out a sharp gasp and then he suddenly woke up with a look of terror. He sat up, breathing heavily, unaware that I was still watching him as he tried to regain his composure. Petyr leaned against the headboard and pulled the sheets up to his chest, trying to let go of the images that we're still replaying inside of his head.

“Petyr?” He looked down at me, his face was a ghostly white and his eyes looked so terrified and alone. “Who’s Jane?”

“She’s no one,” he breathed, before he jumped out of bed and made his way to the door.

* * *

“You two had a nice nap?” Richards asked, the moment he plunged his spoon into his soup.

“It was fine,” Petyr lied in a thin voice.

“Did you two argue again?” He turned to me and explained, “I hope you didn't mind, Sansa, but I thought it best for him to keep you company. You had a concussion and all, I just wanted Pete to keep an eye on you.”

“I think it was the other way around,” I mumbled, as I dipped my spoon into the soup aimlessly. _I think I’ve lost my appetite._

Petyr chair scrapped back as he moved away from the dining table. “This is too bland. It needs more spice.”

“Use mine! You know we Jamaicans like things spicy.”

Petyr picked up his soup and hobbled out of the room solemnly. I watched him till he was completely out of the room before I pushed the bowl of soup away with the same level of irritation as him.

“So, what's really going on?” Richards asked. He plopped down his spoon on the table and leaned back in his chair, patiently waiting for me to spill the beans.

“Who’s Jane?”

“Never heard of her.”

“Really?”

“It's a common name, so I’ve might of… I couldn't tell.”

“You're lying.”

“I’ve never once told a lie, does that make me a liar?’

“You got that from Petyr didn't you?”

“You never know. He might have gotten it from me?” He shrugged his shoulders before he leaned in to grab a slice of bread. “All I can say is Petyr went through a lot. And I mean a _lot!_  He’s been pretty good at clamming it up and keeping it all together, until you came around. Now, he’s an emotional wreck. He’s like a women on PMS… no offense.”

“I’ve heard worse.”

“He really likes you, you know? I think it's hard for him to wrap his head around it, but he does. You’re the first person in a long time to seem him vulnerable, and that says a lot. You just have to be patient with him and he’ll open up eventually.”

“You think?”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve known him for eight years, even before the crash. We worked together on…” he paused and bit down on his lip. “I probably shouldn't have told you that.”

“It's forever secrets with you two.” I brought the bowl closer to me and began to eat my soup again.

“It won't always be like that,” he reassured me. “You clearly mean a lot to him. Why else would he want to take you to the Crystal Caves?"

“Because he’s an idiot,” I grumbled as I swirled the spoon around my cold soup.

“He’s an idiot for wanting to take you alone. He doesn't want me to come.”

“I think you should come.”

“I think so too, but then again I don't want to be a third wheel. It's bad enough I have a family at home and I never get to see them. I have a wife and a child- a daughter three years old when I left her. She’s seven now, just turned it a month ago.”

“You can't go home?”

“We’re stranded here, but not for long… Petyr’s got a plan.”

“He always has a plan.”

“I can only hope he can keep it together,” Richards mused. “How about you go check on him? He’s been gone for far too long.”

I pushed my soup aside and left the table in search of Petyr. I found him twenty minutes later on my bed, he was leaning forward with his hands in his head, staring at the floor in between his feet. “Petyr?” I asked, as I cracked open the door more. “Can we talk?”

“If you wish.”

“I only want to do it when you're ready.” Petyr continued to look at the floor, so I decided to move into the room and sit beside him on the bed. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” he said wearily.

“It's _her,_  isn't it? Its Jane.”

“Jane,” he repeated into the darkness. “She had blue eyes like you. The most beautiful eyes I’ve seen. I thought of her when I first saw you on the hospital bed. The same hair colour, except hers was lighter. That is when I _chose_ you, even though I knew you couldn't drive her from my mind fully.”

“Even now?”

“Even now.” He dropped his hands down to his thighs and leaned back a little. I wrapped my arm around his bottom spine and leaned into his shoulder.

“I don't want you to forget her,” I confessed. “But I don't want the memory of her to destroy you further.”

“It made me who I am today,” he drawled

“But you can be even better,” I assured him and kissed him at the side of his cheek. “I know you can.”

Petyr tilted his head and endowed me with a kiss, letting it last longer than it should. I enraptured him in my arms and steered him towards the bed until we both fell down at a gentle pace. I kept kissing him as I made my way on top of him, and he in turn ruffled up my shirt till he could feel the length of my back. “I’m right here,” I breathed, as I could feel him tense suddenly. “I won't let you go.”

He lifted his head and kissed me fervently, and I in turn rolled up the bottom of his t-shirt till he entangled itself in the front of his chest. “Don't be afraid,” I whispered, as I stroked my fingers up his scar. “She’s not here. She won't hurt you.”

“I know,” he whispered, and lifted up his arms so I could remove the last of his shirt. He watched my my fingers trail downward, feeling the sharp crevice of his scar. I leaned down and kissed it gently, letting my lips wandered across the crooked marks until I reached the bottom.

“I’m willing to do it, if you are?”

“Are you sure,” he said uneasily.

“I am.”

He offered me half a smile before he loosened the waistband and told me to pull the rest of it down. I took the liberty of pulling down his boxers as well. “Oh, your not hard yet,” I observed. “I’ll soon fix that.”

“How?” Petyr asked with a mischievous smirk.

“Oh, you’ll see.” I jumped off the bed and closed the door completely before I stripped my clothes off in front of him one by one. Petyr leaned up on the bed and watched me with pleasure, a lopsided grin began to form the longer he looked at me.

“Come here,” he finally said, and spread his arms out for me to walk into. “Your so beautiful,” he murmured, as he enraptured me in his arms.

“So are you, once you lose the beard.”

“You really want it to go, don’t you?” He stroked the side of his beard fondly, after I fell into him.

“I do.” I kissed him and added, “I’m tempted to shave it all off myself.”

“All of it?”

“All,” I replied, as I rolled into the center of the bed and motioned him to come forward. He came forward willingly, crawling over my body until his face was leveled with mine. He brushed the side of my cheek lovingly before he kissed me, and I felt there was something different in his touch and gesture. “Petyr?”

“Yes, my _love._ ”

 _That was the difference,_ I realized, he is starting to fall in love with me.

“Kiss me like you mean it,” I teased. He did kiss me wholeheartedly, taking my breath away as each second passed by. I pulled his body into me, wanting my arms around him as he stretched out each kiss moment by moment. I let out a long sigh as he kissed down the side of my cheek and down the sides of my neck. My breaths quickened as he made his way lower, the softness of his beard ran along my collarbone as he kissed me downwards.

“Oh sweetling,” he breathed, as he kissed my ample breasts and let his tongue lap at it with leisure.

“Petyr,” I entreated, before I gripped at his waist, leveling his body with my own. “I just want-”

“I know.” I felt him prodding into me, and I let out a sigh of relief once he finally entered.

“Oh, Petyr,” I moaned, and kissed him as a thank you. He took his time making his way in, his kisses was his sole focus more than anything else. It was like he never grew tired of it, and when I finally moved my face away to breathe he chuckled and kissed up the length of my neck until he reached my jawline.

“Kiss me, Sansa,” he ordered. “We can't have Richards hear us.”

I giggled at that, and leaned my head forward to kiss him with delight. Petyr must have had a plan, of course, he always had one for at that exact moment he slammed into me without warning.

“Shhh!” he pleaded once I let out a cry. “Kiss me, or bite your lip. Just keep quiet.”

“Why can't I scream?” I asked, as Petyr began to ride me furiously.

“Because I promised Richards you wouldn't.”

“Petyr!” I said resentfully.

He kissed me for that and let his face smush into mine when he answered, “It was bound to happen at some point.”

I stroked my hands through his hair as he slowly set me on a high, steadily building up the pace so I could let out small noises into the side of his cheek. He enjoyed the pleasure he was giving me, taking his time as if we had all night long.

“Oh, Petyr,” I cooed once he finally let me peak, and I instinctively grabbed at whatever I could find, which was his lower back and the curve of his waist. I let out a loud moan but Petyr was too in the moment to stop me now. He breathed heavily into the side of my neck and tilted his head downward into the bed until he couldn't take anymore of it. He stayed in me, as he laid there exhausted from his efforts. It had been a very long day, but this made it all seem worth it.

“Sansa,” Petyr said as he lifted up his head and stroked my matted curls that rested on the cotton bed sheets.

“Yes?”

“Thank you.” He kissed me slowly, drawing out each one before he finally leaned his head on the pillow next to mine. I could feel his heart hammering out of his chest, resounding against my own.

“Goodnight, Petyr,” I muttered, as he removed himself from me and curled up in the sheets by my side.

“Goodnight, sweetling.” He was soon sound asleep, and it wasn't until I heard the shuttle creaking that I remembered we were still in grave danger, enough for Petyr to have his gun rest on the bed stand and the door to be unlocked by only his handprint. He must have been scared, but what terrified him I could only find out in time. There was still one more hour left until nightfall, and then all would be revealed.


	11. Face the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the middle of the night, Petyr and Sansa are awoken to a sound outside their door. Captain Richards has discovered something in the midst of the storm, and he needs their help to uncover the truth.

“Petyr, wake up!” I shook him violently, trying to stir him from his deep sleep. “Petyr!”

His head tilted off to the side of the pillow, his body shifted away from me. I huffed before I went on my knees to shake him again. “Petyr, the door!”

The heavy knocking on the door continued again, and I could hear Richards yelling on the other side. I rolled out of bed and tried to open it, before I realized I needed Petyr’s handprint to open it. “Damn it,” I cursed, before I returned to the bed to try and wake him up again. “Petyr Baelish, I need you to wake up right now _._ ”

I heard him grumble after that, and I knew he was finally coming out of his deep sleep. He began to blink open his eyes and soon those silvery green eyes started to focus on me. “Sansa?”

“I really must have tired you out because you are a heavy sleeper.”

“I don’t sleep,” he murmured.

“Oh, believe me, you do,” I laughed. Richards started to knock on the door again and that caught Petyr’s attention. “He’s been doing that for the past two minutes.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked, as he rubbed the lids of his eyes with the back of his hands.

“I tried! Your impossible.”

“Am I really?” he leaned in to kiss me before he sat up on the bed. “Hand me my gun.”

He was wrapping a sheet around his waist before I placed the gun in his hand. He motioned me to cover myself with a blanket as he walked towards the door. Petyr placed his hand on the scanner, it went from blue to flashing red before the door unlocked. “Who is it?” he asked into the intercom, realizing he didn’t double check who was on the other side.

“Considering I am the only other one on board this ship-”

“Its nice to hear you again, Richards.”

“It would be even better if you let me in,” he replied through the speakers.

Petyr looked over his shoulder to make sure I was fully covered before he pulled the metal crank and unlocked the door completely. Richards walked into the room and gave us a good look before he remarked, “Well, you two have been busy.”

“And we enjoyed every second of it,” Petyr shot back. “Why are you bothering us?”

“Touchy are you? I wouldn’t have come here unless it was important.”

“Then what is it?” Petyr asked, as he crossed his arms over his chest with impatience.

“I need the both of you to get dressed. I’ll wait outside the door.”

“Do you mean in our suits?” I asked.

“No. Let’s hope it doesn’t have to come to that.” He looked at the both of us with a sly little smirk. “Your pajamas will do. I rather you not walk down the corridors with blankets wrapped around your ass.”

“I’m covered,” I pointed out.

“Yes, but for how long,” he drawled, after he gave Petyr a meaningful look. “I mean it, Petyr, five minutes.”

“I won’t be a minute longer,” he answered with a devilish smirk. “You can depend on that.”

The door slammed shut with a thud and Petyr let out a small chuckle before he dropped the blanket to the floor. He went over to the bed stand to turn on the lamp and placed his gun beside it. “That thing makes me nervous,” I noted, and pointed towards the glowing gun.

“I’m more nervous of what’s outside.”

“What _is_ outside?”

“Something you never wish to encounter. Come on, get dressed.” It took me a while to find all my clothing, it didn’t help that I tossed everything aside when I undressed myself in front of Petyr earlier. He was in a navy-blue crewneck sweater with the same baggy pants from before. I took a lesson from him and borrowed one of his extra sweaters that he packed, it had _Elisium_ stitched across it in bold white letters. “Keep it,” Petyr quickly said, as he rubbed his hand down the hem of my sleeve as he made his way to the door.

“Four minutes. Good enough,” Richards remarked, the moment he poked his head through the door. “Alright, follow me. Be quiet… don’t make a sound.”

Petyr took my left hand and held it tightly before we slipped out the door. In a straight line we tip-toed down the corridor, glancing to the sides after each sharp turn, and I found we were moving to a part of a shuttle that I have never seen before. All was silent around us, not a sound was heard except for the wind tunnel outside our shuttle as the strong breeze whipped across the sides of the spacecraft. “Crouch down,” Richards whispered. He went down on his hands and knees before we entered a wide room with a large glass window. “Petyr, turn off your gun. No lights!” I heard Petyr tinker with the gun before it let out two sharp beeps and then the handgun ceased to glow in his hand.

_Have you ever felt fear,_ I remember Petyr saying, I felt some of it now as we moved closer to the glass window and couldn't see a thing. “There’s nothing there,” Petyr said with annoyance, as he went up on his knees and looked out the window. “Do I need night vision googles or something?”

“Just wait a moment,” Richards advised in a low tone of voice. We sat there silently, slightly shivering in the cold, it felt like the temperature dropped once it was nightfall. Petyr noticed me trembling and wrapped his arms around me from behind, I leaned into him as I looked into the black void.

“Nothing,” Petyr sighed. “You got me out of bed for nothing.”

“I’m telling you there was something there.”

“Your imagining things.”

“Have I ever imagined things?”

“No, but-”

“Then you got to believe me,” Richards whispered, still careful not to raise his voice to loud. “There was lights down there!”

“Lights?”

“God-damn-lights.”

“I didn’t send any patrol down here.”

“And none of my men would come out here, especially after dark. I told them where our ship stopped and sent in the coordinates, but I never told them to come rescue us.”

“Rescue? We’re not even in danger.”

“Yet,” I joked, and that made Petyr’s arms fall away from me.

“Very funny,” he grunted, before he moved off to the side and looked out into the darkness. “You sure it wasn’t a reflection.”

“No, I was patrolling the ship. You know we can’t have lights on after dark.”

“Yes,” Petyr wearily said. “All to well. If someone really is out there, then they’ll have to find that out for themselves.”

“The hard way,” Richards added.

“You two just like keeping me in the dark, don’t you?” I asked, as I rose onto my feet. _If there is nothing here then I might as well go back to bed._

“Sansa, stay down,” Petyr instructed. “Not until Richards gives us the go ahead.”

“But there’s nothing there,” I moaned.

“Sansa,” Petyr said in a severe tone of voice.

“Shhhhh! Look,” Richards said with a sense of urgency. “Dead ahead.”

I walked in between them and placed my hands on the glass as I stared out the window. “Lights,” I stated with disbelief. “Who would be out here in this storm?”

“Headlights to be exact,” Richards noted. “Which is something I was afraid of.”

“Anyone who ever fell to this planet is in Elisium. So, who the devil could that be?”

“You forget you only take humans?”

“We’ve destroyed all of the A.I.’s.”

“Only the ones you’ve ever found,” Richards reminded him, as he got up on his feet as well.

“Can they see us?” I asked, noticing how tall Richards was once he stood beside me. He was easily over 6-feet tall, and that was without the heavy military boots he was currently wearing.

“No. I turned off the entire ship. As long as we don’t call attention to ourselves we can go undetected.”

“Did you see that!” Petyr pointed out and tapped at the glass with excitement. “Someone walked in front of the headlights.”

“Or something,” Richards said uneasily.

“No, those were human legs.”

“I missed it,” I complained. I was too busy rubbing the back of my eyes in a vain effort to wake up.

“How do you know its human? It could be an android?”

“Let’s not talk about those things.”

“Oh yes, another touchy subject.”

“Will you two stop arguing,” I pleaded. _If they keep this up they are going to give me a headache._

“How far can those lights go, you think?” Petyr whispered to his right. “Can they see the ship?”

“It’s so hard to tell. If they see us, then we have a bigger issue than the things outside. If they don’t then we’ll be fine for the night.”

“What about the morning?”

“We better make sure we are gone before the sun rises.”

“And fly in complete darkness? Yes, that makes sense.”

“Would you rather encounter the things out there?”

“You’re doing it again,” I groaned.

“I can’t help it if he’s so thick headed,” Richards shot back. Anything else he was about to add was thwarted for we all noticed a bright light shining on the unknown shuttlecraft.

“They have a self-hand light,” Petyr observed, “Like one of ours.”

“I know that shuttle… that’s the _Damian._ ”

“But that’s impossible,” Petyr insisted. “It’s docked in the hanger. I know it is.”

“There’s something you should know, Pete.”

“Oh, no,” Petyr groaned.

“I’m so sorry, man.”

“What did you do?”

“I didn’t want to tell you this…” he paused and looked away from the glass window to face Petyr’s angry glare. “The thing is… the Damian was stolen-”

“What?” Petyr bellowed. He passed me to lay his hands on either side of Richards arms, it was a good thing the Captain was so tall because Petyr’s fury was a thing to behold. “What do you _mean_ its stolen?”

“During the meeting… they must have known we were all gone from our stations at the exact time.”

“Who knew?”

“Well, everybody knows,” Richards related. “But no one would be dumb enough to steal the Damian! Not unless-”

“Guys! Look, there is another one!” I pointed out. I could see another self-hand light turn on, it shined across the matted black shuttle craft as the person made their way to the rear of the shuttle. “There has to be two of them.”

“Its that Bolton boy,” Richards said matter of factly. “And his girlfriend, Myranda.”

“How do you know?” I asked, as I turned my head to face him.

“Cause they would be the only ones dumb enough to do it,” he answered. He brushed Petyr’s hands away from him and added, “And they weren’t exactly happy with the punishment our dear Petyr gave them.”

Petyr licked his bottom lips with slight amusement. “I thought I’d teach them a lesson.”

“To be left stranded in the dunes. Great lesson.”

“Either that or I’d tie them up to a pole and leave them for dead like we used to.”

“Same old judge, jury and executioner, don’t you ever get tired of it?”

“I never heard a word of complaint until now.”

“I never liked Ramsay Bolton, but he was good at what he does.”

“Yes, I rather liked him,” Petyr bemused. “We shared the same values.”

“Hatred for A.I.” Richards walked over to my side and leaned against the glass window. “I know that’s the only reason you kept him around, that is- until he started playing rough with your girlfriend.”

_I’m not his girlfriend,_ I thought, _but I did just sleep with him._ I puckered my lips with annoyance after that thought, unsure if I wanted that title just yet. 

“He’s a loose canon,” Petyr rebutted. “There is nothing I hate more than a bad investment.” I heard him scrap a chair across the floor slightly before he sat upon it. He grunted as he lifted himself up on the high chair, it was only then that I realized he didn’t have his cane.

“Petyr, where’s your cane?” I asked, as I pulled out a chair beside him.

“Left it in the changeroom. I wasn’t exactly in the right state of mind.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“They’re leaving,” Richards called out. “They are going into the caves. It looks like their hands are full.”

“Do they intend to live out the rest of their lives in the Crystal Caves?”

“Why not? We did it. Just in caves not so savvy as that.”

“Savvy,” Petyr jeered. I heard him chuckle to himself, which made his friend turn around to face him.

“Got something to say?” Richards asked, as he approached him.

“Nothing at all. We are on the same side, remember?”

“Not like I had a choice in the matter. So, what are going to do about our shuttle?”

“The Damian? Take it back of course.”

“How?” Richards drawled. He pointed at the headlights directly ahead of us and added, “Ramsay is not exactly the person I would want to face in a middle of a storm.”

“Wait till he gets inside and settles down, and then we take the shuttle,” Petyr said sensibly. He was rubbing his knee with irritation, it was probably aching since he had been on his feet for most of the day.

“Can we talk about it in the morning,” I yawned. I leaned into Petyr’s frame, enjoying that familiar scent of his cologne which lingered on his clothes. “I’m ready for bed.”

“There’s a raging psychopath outdoors, and your ready for bed,” Richards said in a mocking tone. “Not until we deal with the situation.”

“I tried to deal with him, and look where its got me? A stolen shuttle.”

“Let’s take it back,” Richards urged.

“Now?”

“Once their lights go out.”

“What if they see us? The minute we open the rear doors the lights on our ship will turn on. And then what? Who is going to fly the Damian?”

“I will.”

“What about us?” I asked, not minding how selfish I may have sounded. _Survival of the fittest, isn’t that what they say?_

“The codes are set. Petyr you know how to fly this thing.”

Petyr was silent, his hand gripped around his knee cap as he grimaced at the pair of us. “I haven’t flied a shuttlecraft since the academy.”

“The academy?” I asked, with a sudden interest.

“It’s the same thing. You can do it, man.”

“I have a better idea! How about we leave it there and return for it tomorrow. I’ll make sure to send in a dozen brown shirts to deal with Ramsay Bolton permanently, and no harm should be done to us.”

“I second that!” I hopped out of the high chair and clapped my hands together before I added, “That’s it! Everyone off to bed.”

“I still have a say,” Richards pointed out.

“You can say it all to yourself. I’m off to bed.”

“Petyr,” Richards entreated, though he saw how quick Petyr was to climb down his seat. “Our whole lives could be in danger if he should find us.”

“You stay on guard, and alert us if he does anything. For now, Sansa and I will be off to bed.”

“Oh, you would like that, wouldn’t you?” the Captain bickered.

“I would. Goodnight,” he teased, after he interlaced our fingers together and dragged me down the hall.

“Is it safe?” I hushed, the moment we were out of Richards sight.

Petyr leaned in and kissed me on the side of my cheek, he steadied me and leaned me against the wall so that he could kiss me on my lips this time. “My sweet, Sansa,” he breathed, as he wrapped his arms around me. “I would never let anyone hurt you.”

“Then we better hope Ramsay doesn’t find us.”

“Ramsay Bolton is the least of my worries,” he assured me, before his lips pressed against mine again. They were getting hungrier, but Richards sudden call for us put it to an end. Petyr puckered his lips before he leaned off me, clearly annoyed at the way his friend was yelling his name. 

“He’s got weapons!” Richards yelled, the moment we appeared in the open doorway. “He must have breached our security room. Its enough to make serious damage to our ship.”

“Someone must have helped him.”

“We have to make sure once we get back to Elisium. I’ll call them now- no, I can’t…” He smacked the front of his forehead in dismay. “That will turn on the lights.”

“He won’t come this far out, will he? We parked at a pretty good distance from the cave’s entrance.”

“Yes, but the noise,” Richards grumbled over his shoulder, he was making his way back to the glass window to watch the couple’s activities. “The wind going around or against our ship will soon attract attention.”

“I don’t understand,” I piped up.

“Imagine a large tower in the middle of the storm, wouldn’t you notice if the wind is hitting you on on some sides and not others. It’s because we are blocking the headwind.”

“Ramsay is familiar enough with the outdoor weather of Plegethon. Its only a matter of time….” Petyr’s hand gripped a little to tight in my hand. “He’ll notice, Richards, he’ll notice soon enough.”

“And the more they pull out lights from the shuttle, the sooner it will be.”

“We have to stop him before its too late. Can’t we use one of our fire guns and shoot them down.”

“They are only located at the front of the ship- not the back.”

“So, we have nothing?” Petyr asked in a strained voice.

“We have this,” he pointed out, and raised his large gun in the air. “And the handguns I gave you.”

“I’m not sending Sansa out there!”

“I never asked you too.” Richards made sure to turn his back to the window before he powered up his gun. “I’m going out there alone.”

Petyr let go of my hand and hobbled around his large friend until he stood in front of him. “I’m not letting you go out there.”

“I’m only doing what’s best.”

“I know, but- I need you to stay. Who else will pilot this ship?”

“I have the codes punched in for you. The computer will do the rest. You don’t need me.”

“Of course, I do!” Petyr put his hand on the Richards chest to stop him going forward. “You and I both know what’s out there, and its far worse than the Bolton boy.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

“We already took so many chances,” Petyr drawled, his Irish brogue coming out in full strength. “We already sacrificed so much, why should we sacrifice anymore?”

“Petyr, let me go.”

“No.”

“Don’t let me push you out the way, cause you know I will.”

“Richards,” Petyr grumbled. His hand flexed as though he had the cane, and when he realized it wasn’t there he interlaced his fingers beneath his chest. “You and I both know you won’t make this out alive, if you do go out those doors. Sansa and I will have no other choice but to leave you.”

“You’ll stay. I know you will.” Richards brushed him aside and made his way down the hall without us.

“He won’t make it,” Petyr murmured, as he leaned against the wall. “It’d be a miracle, and you know how much I don’t believe in miracles.”

“All to well.” I lifted him off the wall and let him lean his weight on me, so I could carry him back to bed.

* * *

Petyr was hardly in bed for five minutes before he rolled out of it and hopped to the corner of the room where his space suit was neatly tucked away. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to help him,” he droned.

“You’re going out there?”

“He needs me.”

“If your going, then I’m going too.”

“No, you are staying here.” I ignored him and walked right past him, so I could put on my suit as well. “I always thought you were stubborn,” Petyr murmured, as he slipped his right leg into the Ranium suit.

“You need all the help you can get,” I reminded him. He grievously let me put on his suit, and once that was done he helped me put on mine as well.

“You have no idea what’s out there.”

“Well, its time I find out,” I answered, and with that I snapped my helmet into place and headed for the door. Petyr looked at his gloved hand and grunted, before he switched the security level system on the wall panel. The light turned an ominous green, and then a computer’s voice said, “Voice activation initialized.”

“Lord Petyr Baelish,” he gruffly said.

“Security password is needed.”

“Littlefinger,” he mumbled, and with that the doors unlocked for him.  

“Littlefinger?” I uttered aloud, once we were in the long hallways. “I’ve heard that name somewhere before…”

“I can only hope Richards is still around,” he breathed through the muffled speakers, he was clearly intent on dropping the subject for he started to take a few steps away from me. Our boots clanged against the floor as we made our way down the long corridors. He activated his flashlight at the tip of his gun as we made our way through the darkness. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, after he suddenly halted his steps. He turned around to face me, lowering his gun until the spotlight stood between us. “It’s not safe, you know? And you have no idea what Ramsay is capable of?”

“Believe me, I do. I’ve seen his type before.”

“No,” he drawled, and tightened his grip around the gun. “Not this one.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Promise me one thing.” He took a step forward to close in the gap between us. “That you will do everything I say.”

“I will.”

“When I say run, you will run. Hide, then I want you to hide.” He suddenly flicked off his flashlight and left me in complete darkness. “If I tell you to not leave a single light on then you must do it. Do you _understand_?”

“Yes.”

“There are creatures out there that will hunt us. They are attracted to light,” he explained.

“What do you _mean_ creatures?”

“That was a light way of putting it,” he joked, though there was a strain in his voice.

“Like aliens?”

“Aliens,” Petyr laughed. “Do people still use that word?” His flashlight came back on and he raised it to my face. “No fear, I see.”

I blocked the light with my hand and Petyr instinctively lowered the flashlight to the ground. “Are you trying to scare me?”

“I’m trying to warn you.” I saw him straighten up his back and lift his head slightly in the air. “Stay here, while you still have the chance.”

“I’m not leaving you alone out there.”

Petyr sighed, the sound emitting through his speaker made it sound like a gust of air, like the one raging outside of our shuttle. “So be it. Let’s find Richards before its too late.”

Petyr started to jog down the halls and I quickly followed. His flashlights sporadically flashing across the pitch-black ship was somewhat jarring, it made the place feel haunted. Petyr turned off his lights once we saw the open doorway to the bridge. He motioned me to stop and then we crept around the corner and leaned our backs against the wall. We waited in silence for about thirty seconds until we saw a hand move off the Captain’s chair. “Richards?” Petyr called out, and that made the man stand up from his seat. He turned around with his gun in the air, flashlight pointing in our exact direction before it lowered to the ground.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Richards angrily asked. “Why are you in those suits.”

“Why is your flashlight on?”

Richards turned it off completely, which left us in complete darkness. I felt Petyr take my hand and tug me towards the front of the ship. _How can he see,_ I wondered, but I still followed his footsteps as we walked up the inclined ramp towards the Captain’s chair. “Did you put him up to this?” Richards asked into the darkness.

“It was my idea,” Petyr stated in a clear voice. “We want to help you.”

“You’re going to get yourself killed,” Richards said in a flat tone of voice. “I have no intention of digging your grave.”

“I can help you.”

“You have no military training, none whatsoever. While you were out their punching numbers and being a busy-body, I was learning how to man ships and fight in intergalactic wars.”

“I know your accomplishments- that’s why I hired you.”

“I’m replaceable,” Richards pointed out. “You are not.”

“I’m not arguing with you. We are just wasting more time. Now, tell us what we need to do, so we can at least be of some use.”

“Turn on your night vision,” Richards answered.

“It’s on. Sansa’s suit isn’t programmed with one.”

“So, she’s running blind?”

“She has the beginner module.”

“God damnit! You want to kill her too.”

“I’m fine,” I lied.

“Fine, my ass! Does she have a radio at least?”

“Yes,” Petyr blurted out. “But its the basic model.”

“Put it to 200, its low frequency and won’t be detected by Ramsay.”

Petyr manhandled my suit, punching things in at the side of my helmet, until I heard a sharp screeching sound piercing my ears. “Sansa, can you hear me?” Petyr asked, once the high-pitch sound died away. 

“Yeah.”

His voice echoed in my space suit when he said, “Good. Will use this method to communicate from now on.”

“We can only go so far before the radio cuts out. 360 feet that’s the max,” Richards explained. “So, that’s the length of a football field, Sansa.”

“Thanks.”

“I have no intention of letting her get that far away from me,” Petyr said with a determined voice, his hand caressed the side of my hip to prove it.

“You might not have a choice,” Richards noted, after he turned on the monitor lights in front of his chair. “Yes, I know the lights are on, but I need to finish this….”

I walked away from Petyr and leaned over the keyboard panels and stared up at the monitor. _It’s a map,_ I realized, and saw the visuals leading us back to Elisium. There was another one in an orange rectangular that looked like the inside of a cave, the way the map contoured and construed itself into a series of winding lines and shapes.

“If I don’t make it, at least you have a way to get back home.” Richards pointed at the rectangular shape and added, “I downloaded this into each of your suits, so if we find ourselves in the caves…”

“We’re not going there,” Petyr quickly said with a panic in his voice.

“If we do…” Richards continued. “Then at least we are not completely lost.”

“I’m not going in there.”

“I’m preparing for the worst, Pete. That storm out there is one of the worst I’ve ever seen. If we get separated-”

“Sansa, is staying with me.”

“Then you better tie a rope around each other, cause that storm will separate you the minute we get outside.” He shut off the lights and the room when completely black again. I heard him walk past us, and then I felt Petyr’s hand cling to mine before he dragged me away from the Captain’s chair.

“Where are we going?” I asked Petyr and was startled to hear my voice echo back from the radio speakers.

“Outside, love. Just stay with me.”

“I will,” I promised him, and found some comfort when I felt him tighten his grip. We walked for a few minutes down a hall, and then we entered into something that felt like an elevator. The doors shut behind us, and I felt some fear being enclosed in a small, dark space. “Password?” the computer asked suddenly, as the lights flickered a pale green.

“Michael Jordon,” Richards answered.

“Password successful.” The computer replied.

“I thought you don’t like computers,” I whispered to Petyr, and realized Richards could also hear because of the radio transmission.

“This is a basic model, low end sort of thing,” Richards replied. “Nothing for Petyr to worry about.” The elevator rocked and then I felt we were descending into the lower ends of the ship. “Computer, initialize emergency lights.”

“Lights initialized,” it replied back and the whole elevator glowed a soft lime green. I looked around with wonder and Petyr started to laugh at that.

“It’s beautiful,” he remarked. “Everything feels so new to you.”

I leaned into kiss him, and then remembered we were both wearing helmets. He let out a chuckle before he hugged me, and I wished I could feel more than his suit pressing against mine.

“Another time, guys,” Richards groaned, before the elevator door opened. “It’s time to go outside.”

He stepped over the threshold and we found ourselves in what looked like a garage, there was four motorcycles near the elevator and a small buggy, like the one Douglas was driving earlier. Richards walked past them all and went into the center of the room where he punched a few things into a raised circular desk. “I’m setting in an emergency code. Only the three of us are allowed back in here, just in case Ramsay wants to use one of us as a hostage. I put in your DNA information, I hope you don’t mind. Anything else that passes through these doors will get electrocuted _immediately._ ”

Richards took his gun out of his holster and went to the far end of the garage, Petyr and I followed, his hand never leaving mine as we made our way through the dim lighted room. We entered into a pressurized room, a cloud of fog rushed past us, coming up from the ground and billowed all around Ranium suits. “You are now safe to leave the shuttle,” said a women’s voice from the computer. “Emergency lights have been initiated.”

“They can see us, but barely,” Richards explained. “Everyone stay close to me.”

“Good luck, my friend.”

“Same goes for the pair of you. See you on the other side.” The door suddenly opened from the bottom and a rush of sand hit the bottom of my feet, I lifted my right foot up in the air and watched as it poured into the small room at a frightening pace.

“Petyr?” I said worriedly, as the red sand rose higher and higher. The wind howled like a wolf, trembling the very room in which we stood. The door halted for a moment from the pressure before it began to lift again. Petyr stood close to me, his hand wrapped around my waist the minute the emergency lights cut out.

“That’s it. We are on our own now,” Richards commented. “I’ll have to open the rest of the door manually.”

“Won’t we have to do that when we get back as well?” Petyr asked, into the darkness.

“Petyr, shine your flashlight where my voice is. My night vision can only go so far.”

Petyr let go of me and went around Richards large back before he shined his flashlight on the large steel crank. “This is suicide,” Petyr confessed, as he watched Richards turn the crank at an incredibly slow pace, the door opening little by little.

“We’ll have to crawl through the crack. I can only open the door so much.”

“Just like the old days in the academy.”

“You got it.”

“What academy?” I asked.

“Sansa, dear. You can’t see. I shouldn’t have left you alone for so long,” Petyr replied. He walked over to me and dragged me over to Richards side. “How about you hold the flashlight, and I’ll help Richard, okay?”

“What academy, Petyr?” I asked in a firm voice, after I took his gun and shined the light against the circular crank.

“Oh, you know how it is,” Petyr lied. “Everyone has to start somewhere.”

“That’s good enough. Let’s go!” Richards walked between us both and crouched down on his hands and knees, letting his helmet take the direct wind of the sandstorm. “Hurry!”

Petyr retrieved his gun and crouched down beside him, making sure I was next to him before we all looked out into the stormy darkness. “3-2-1-”

“Go!” Richards yelled into the radio, and with that we all climbed underneath the half-opened door and staggered to our feet feeling the awesome blast from the storm.


	12. Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petyr and Sansa must face their greatest fears, and come face to face with whatever lies in the darkness.

I remembered when I signed up for Vasken I wanted to be an explorer. I wanted to see the stars up close, travel across galaxies in a blink of an eye. There was so many things I wanted to see, so many things I wanted to do. But look at me now, standing in the middle of a deadly sandstorm in the dead of night. Things haven't exactly gone as planned, but Petyr’s hand tightening in mine made it a little better. I could not see him in the darkness, but I could sense his presence, feel his body lean against mine. A solid form amongst the rush of wind and shards of sand, for me he was like an anchor in a storm. “Don’t let me go,” I hushed, and pressed into his frame a little more.

“I won’t,” Petyr assured me, and I knew by the tenseness in his voice that he would keep his promise.

“Don’t move yet,” Richards instructed. “I just got to close the door back.”

“Will be right here,” Petyr replied. He turned me around to face him, placing his hands on either side of my hip. He was looking down at me, I could only wish I could see him and look into those silvery green eyes for one last time. Petyr held me in his arms, hugging me tightly, I laid my head against his own and just listened to the sound of us breathing.

“I wish I could have shown you the Crystal Caves,” he muttered, his rough Irish brogue blending in with the howling wind. “The lights shine ever so brightly there. Red, orange and blue crystals all across the ceiling, and if you look long enough you’ll see your own reflection. There is a hot spring there too, water spilling out from the ground and shoots into the air. The water is deep enough for you to swim in for hours on end. Mariam created this sort of mechanical wall, so when it shuts completely you can pressurize the area, and once that’s done you can get out of the Ranium suits.”

“There’s breathable air?”

“Yes, my love. The machines can only last for a few hours at at time, but yes, with those machines we can breathe oxygen.”

“And swim? The water is safe?”

“Its safe, but I wouldn’t exactly swim in it. The water can leave your eyes stinging for days. I usually just float on top and make sure I don’t duck my head underwater.”

“That sounds nice.”

“More than nice, its wonderful.” His voice was full of strange energy when he added, “And I’ll take you there one day.”

“Mariam and Theodore got engaged there,” Richards piped up. “And yes, I heard the whole thing! I never knew you could be such a romantic, Pete.”

Petyr was silent on his end but that didn’t stop Richards from laughing into his speakers. “I’m just pulling your leg,” he teased. “Alright, enough of this lovey dovey stuff, it’s time to deal with the real problem at hand- how to take back that shuttle.”

Petyr let his arms slide away from me, but he made sure to not let me go completely. His gloved hand slipped into mine when he uttered, “Let’s go.” His grip tightened immensely as he tugged me into the swirling wind. The ground was unleveled beneath my feet, and I found myself trudging through the sand dunes, staggering here and there as Petyr led me by the hand. The wind blasted into my face as we walked into the headwind, I felt the whole weight of it as a strong gust of wind almost knocked me off my feet. “You alright?” Petyr asked, once I fell into him.

“Yeah.”

“We got to hurry up, or we’ll lose Richards.”

An annoying static noise started to come from the receiving end of my radio, and I started to wonder if this would interfere with our communication. “Petyr?”

“Not now,” he abruptly said. “Stay still, I think I see something.”

We were motionless, the static noise flickered on and off next to my right ear. I was tempted to fiddle with my helmet, but I wouldn’t even know what buttons to press to fix it. “Don’t move,” he warned, the moment I raised my right hand in the air.

“Stay back!” Richards ordered on his end. “Someone’s coming.”

I turned my head to see a light coming from the cave’s opening, it shined along the walls until the person finally stepped out into the storm. “He’s going to see me,” Richards moaned, as the shadowy figure stepped out into the storm. “I have to hide. Petyr, you’re on your own now.”

“Get down,” Petyr told me in a low tenor. He pulled me to the ground till I was flat like a snake in a sea of grass. The wind blew hard against our helmets as we took the direct hit of the storm, so I tucked my head into the side of Petyr’s chest. The static noise was increasing, much to my dismay. I moved my hand to the side of my helmet, my curious movements caught Petyr’s attention. “Sansa, what’s wrong?”

“Ah, fuck!” groaned Richards, and that made us both look up to see a stream of blue light coming from the ground before it hit the intruder. “That was close! I’m going to the shuttle.”

“Was that Ramsay? Is he dead?” Petyr asked, his voice cracking up inside my speaker’s helmet.

“No time to check!” Richards yelled back. “Cover me.”

Petyr pulled out his gun and leveled it to the ground. “I can’t remember the last time I used this thing,” he remarked. “Where’s yours?”

“I left it on the ship.”

“I’m inside,” Richards said with a sigh of relief. “Give me five minutes.”

“Take all the time in the world. There’s nothing to worry about out here.”

“Was that Ramsay?” I asked, as I looked at his fallen flashlight that laid beside his frame.

“I don’t know. We can’t be sure its him. All we have is a hunch.”

“Maybe we should go closer and check?”

Petyr hesitated, a thing he rarely did. “No, we should stay back here… it’s safer.”

“Since when do you take the safe route?” I teased.

“This is going to take a lot longer than I thought,” Richards relayed into my staticky speakers. "He put a lock into the system,” Richards piped up. “A kind of manual override.”

“You can fix it, right?”

“Sure, but it will take me more then five minutes. It doesn’t exactly help that I don’t know his password.”

“Take your time,” Petyr calmly said. “Once your done you can fly the Damian home. Sansa and I will go back to our shuttle and fly it back to Elisium as planned.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Richards joked. “While you are waiting for me, keep an eye out for Myranda. She’s just as dangerous as Ramsay.”

“Well, so far there’s nothing,” Petyr replied. “Ohhhhh shit! I think I see something. He’s getting up!”

“Shoot him down, man! What are you waiting for?”

Petyr’s gun made a low humming sound as it charged and then a blast of blue light shot out from his gun. “I missed!” Petyr yelled. Another flash of light shot straight ahead of us before he shouted, “I think I got him!”

“If you missed, you’re dead,” Richards warned. “Get out of there, Pete, while you still have the chance.”

“Run!” Petyr yelled, after he grabbed my hand and pulled me off the floor. We sprinted across the slippery sand, barely holding on to each other’s hands as the wind blew hard against our backs. There was an explosive sound before a ball of fire barely skimmed over our heads and crashed to the ground. I fell into the air from the impact and fell a few feet away from the roaring fire.

 “What the hell was that?” Richards cried out. “I could hear it from in here?” I moaned in reply, too exhausted to answer Richards demands. “Sansa, is that you? Where’s Petyr?”

“Petyr!” I yelled into the speakers, as I rolled over on my back.

“Petyr!” Richards called out as well. “You need to get up. You can’t leave Sansa alone out there.”

The static started up again, louder than ever before. I felt a shift in the wind and saw the yellow flames lick the air, quickly coming in my direction. “Sansa, you can’t see. Stay exactly where you are, and I’ll come get you.”

“"The flames are too close," I complained. "And what if Ramsay finds me?”

“He has night vision, he’ll see you anyways. Just stay put. I'll be right there.”

“Okay.”

I laid in the center of a dune, listening to the static in my ears, for it started up in my left one as well now. I heaved a low sigh, wondering what happened to Petyr and why he wasn’t answering our calls when I felt the sand shift beside me and came spilling over my chest.  “What do we have here?” a grizzly voice asked just beside me. I sat up frightened, but before I could do anything he pulled me from the ground. I felt a rough hand catch my arm and pull me off the ground. “They left you behind, poor thing.”

 “Richards, he’s- he’s-”

“Oh, no!” he moaned. “Where the hell is Pete? Alright, just distract Ramsay. I’m coming.”

I felt the man’s hand fondle my suit, though I wasn’t exactly sure why he was rubbing my hand all along the front of my space suit and the side of my helmet. “You’re from Elisium,” he observed. “I know that suit, well. Top of the model. Ranium, isn’t it?” He let his fingers glide across the sides of my helmet pensively. “It says you’re wearing a beginner’s module. No night vision- you got some balls.”

I said nothing, too terrified of what he would do if I answered his questions. “Still, you must be one of the big dogs to wear that expensive thing. They say this thing is indestructible. Let’s find out, shall we?”

I wrestled my arm away, but he tightened his grip and pulled it behind my back. “Don’t want to talk,” he said in a sinister-like voice once I cried out in pain. “I can fix that.”

He pulled my other arm behind my back and thrust me forward, steering me into an unknown direction. “Sansa,” Petyr’s voice called out, but it sounded so weak that I could barely hear it over the static.

“Petyr,” I pleaded, and felt myself tremble as Ramsay tightened his grip. A shot came at us from the side, Ramsay pushed me to the ground before he barely dogged the streaming flare. I felt him shifting himself into the sand before he threw a bright orange grenade-like object into the air. A loud crash resounded upon impact, and I saw the top of the Damian shuttle start to ignite.  _Richards,_ _I panicked, and got off the ground to run towards the blazing shuttle craft._

“Son of a bitch,” Ramsay cursed, before he pulled out a blue solar panelled gun from his hip and started to shoot into the darkness. He barely missed me, but it was close enough for me to fall flat on the ground.

“Petyr!” I called into the speaker, after another shot barely missed me.

“Sansa!” I heard through the static, and I knew that he could hear me. “I see you, just let me find my gun.” He paused for a moment. “God damnit! Where is it, so I can kill that fucking-”

The sound of an explosion caught off the last of his words. I turned my head to see the Damian ignite into a ball of flame, the flickering flames blazed into the air and spread across the entire ship.  

“Richards!” Petyr said in a panicked voice. "Sansa, I'll come for you afterwards. I got to see if he’s okay, just find somewhere to hide."

 _Easier said then done,_ I thought, as I looked around me trying to find somewhere to hide. It was no use, my capturer ran up beside me and made sure I stayed on the ground before he lifted his gun to the right and shot in that direction. “Petyr,” I warned, realizing who he was trying to shoot at. I kicked the man in the leg, and he lowered the gun to my face.

“Do that one more time, and I’ll blast your brains out.” He flicked his arm upward and steadied his grip before he blasted the gun near the fire. “Got him,” he snarled. “Do that again, and your next.” He stamped down on my chest and let the whole of his weight of him fall upon my Ranium suit. I groaned in pain, feeling a tightening pressure all along my chest, and once he was satisfied with my painful whimpers did he release the pressure and take a step back. “Indestructible,” he gibbed, before he grabbed the heels of my boot and dragged me across the sandy dunes.  

“Let me go,” I cried out in anger, and kicked up my feet to resist him.

"Get up,” the man ordered, after he dropped my feet to the ground. He leveled his gun at me and took a careful step back just in case I got any ideas. “Now turn to the light,” he ordered, once I staggered upwards. I did as I was told, and looked at him filled with dismay to see Ramsay’s sinister smirk smiling back at me. “So, it’s you?” he said gleefully. “Myranda won’t be happy, but I’m tell her its something to play with.”

I moved back my shoulder and smacked his hand away, but he quickly caught it and twisted my arm in pain. “Down dog,” he jeered, and steered me to the ground until I was on my knees. “See that fire over there? Your friends are dead. I made sure of that.”

 _He’s lying,_  I thought, but without my night vision it was so hard to believe otherwise. I looked over to my right, tracing the light to see any signs that they were truly dead, but Ramsay sudden push forced me to look straight at him.

It was with great pleasure that I saw a look of horror across Ramsay’s face when he heard a woman’s voice scream out his name. He bolted away from me and ran towards the cries. A series of flashing lights were coming from the cave’s entrance and the sounds of a solar flare gun igniting again and again.

The shooting eventually stopped, and then I saw a single ray of light coming out of the cave’s opening; Ramsay was sprinting for his life across the sandy dunes, his flashlight pointing in front of him as he ran towards the flames. His gun ready, pointing it in all directions the moment he stopped right in front of the Damian. _He’s scared,_  I realized, and I felt the same sort of terror as I saw unknown forms stalking him from the caves.

“Petyr,” I said in a frightened voice. “Richards?”

I heard coughing on the other end of the microphone before a voice piped up, “Yeah, I see those son’s of a bitches too.”

“Richards?”

“Yeah, I made it…. barely.”

“Petyr?”

“I don’t know where he is,” he answered. “I heard him calling out my name after the blast-”

“So, did I.”

“Ramsay got him?”

“I don’t know. I hope those things get Ramsay though.”

“He doesn’t deserve that. No one does,” he replied in a solemn tone. “Stay down, and don’t go in the light.”

“Alright,” I whispered, as I watched three of those unknown forms slink across the sand. They reminded me of a grey hound because of their long, lean bodies, but the way their body moved was reminiscent of an iguana as their long tail dragged across the sand.

“They’re coming near me too,” Richards said in a frightful voice. “Damnit, I don’t want to end this way!”

 “Shit!” I heard Richards cry as one of the creatures lowered its body to the ground and sprinted in his direction. I saw Richards for the first time as he stood up in the light from the fire and fired at the creature with a series of curses. A painful cry caught our attention, Ramsay was hurled to the ground and was being mauled to death by those creatures. Richards shot at them, but it was too late, they were already finishing him off. One of them turned to Richards and snarled at him, so he pulled out something from a side pouch and threw it at the creature before he sprinted out of the light with a loud explosion going off at his back.

“I see you,” Richards said after a few moments, his breathy voice told me he was still running. “Girl, your miles off.”

“Sorry.”

“No, its good. Your closer to the shuttle than I am.” He let out a few more breaths before he added, “Its the only reason you’re still alive. I wish I could say that about-”

A loud shrill from one of those creatures cut Richards off. “They’re coming! Get to the shuttle.”

“I don’t know where it is? I'm blind, remember?" I frustratingly said. “And I’m not leaving without Petyr.”

“He’s dead.”

“No, he isnt!"

“He has to be.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“He hasn’t spoken up in the past five minutes. Do you really think he is still alive?”

“I do.” He came up behind me and pulled my arm, clearly intent on taking me back to the shuttle without Petyr. "Richards, I'm not-"

“Wait! Give me a sec! Don’t move,” he said abruptly, and let go of my arm when he added, “I have an idea. What if…”  

“He’s still alive, isn’t he?”

“Stay here,” Richards replied through the outside speakers of his suit, instead of our usual radio transmission. “I think I know where he is… you won’t like it.”

“Richards?” I called out, after he brushed past me and ran towards the fire. I saw his feet shuffling carefully over the dusty red sand once he went into the red light again, his gun trailed at the creatures as he made his way around the burning shuttle craft. I was so distracted with Richards that I didn’t see more of the creatures spilling out of the caves, heading towards the blazing fire. “Richards,” I worriedly said, but he didn’t answer me. _What the hell is going on?_

He ducked low and quickly shuffled his feet around the left side of the shuttle. Richards then lifted up a heavy slab of metal and pulled a figure.  _It’s Petyr,_  I realized, and was about to run towards them when I heard the shrilling sounds from the creatures.

 “Sansa, I’m sorry I was gone. I had to change my radio frequency.”

“Oh.”

“Petyr's radio system automatically switched to the emergency channel. It doesn’t matter now. I’m too late. We’re not going to make it.”

“Don’t say that.”

“There’s too many of them. And Petyr’s hurt. His leg…”

“He just needs a cane that’s all,” I jokingly said, hoping that would lighten the mood.

“This isn’t funny, Sansa,” he snarled. “He’s conscious, but barely. I can’t bring him to our shuttle in time.”

“I’ll come.”

“No, you get on that ship and you _leave_ us.”

“I’m not leaving you behind.” I took a determined step to prove it.

“You don’t think I can see you!” he scolded. “Get back now, while you still can.”

“No.”

“Sansa,” he chided.

“Petyr, would have done the same,” I argued, before I started to run towards them. One of the creatures spotted me and started to sprint in my direction, but Richards shot him down before it could get any closer.

“You better hurry! They can see you,” he pointed out, and shot at the creature again until it lay limp on the ground. It wasn’t until I stood in front of him, desperately trying to catch my breath that Richards threw Petyr’s into my arms and shouted, “Let’s go!”

“The caves,” I suggested, in between breaths.

“So, you want to go into their home, is that it?”

“You and I both know we won’t make it all the way back to the shuttle.”

“We can if we tried,” he retorted, after he raised his gun at the four creatures slinking in our direction. “Petyr may have idealized the caves, but its not as beautiful as you think. Trust me! The shuttle is better.”

“And two times farther!” I pointed out.

“This is coming from the girl that can’t see.”

“I can see the opening of the cave from here, but I can’t see the shuttle. Unless you intend to direct me to the shuttle while shooting at those things, then we should head to the caves.”

“Petyr was right, you are stubborn!” He paused and looked over his shoulder to take a good look at me before he gave in. “Alright, you carry him to the caves and I’ll cover you. Got it?”

 “Got it!” I yelled, and heaved Petyr’s body into my own before I started to drag him away from the fire. He was so heavy in his suit, and you could tell his right leg was injured by the concave in his suit. Fortunately, it didn’t do any serious damage to his Ranium space suits, I could only hope his leg wasn't worse off than it was before.

They were gaining on us, so I went a little faster. I turned my head to make sure there was no more of them coming out of the cave before I dragged Petyr into the cave’s opening. A scream escaped me once I stepped into a pool of blood and turned around to see Myranda’s mutilated figure stretched across the cave floor.  _This was a mistake,_  I realized, once I saw her helmet had been crushed in to the point that there was no longer a face to look at.

“Keep going,” Richards barked. “This isn’t over yet.”

I kept looking over my shoulder as I back-peddled into the depths of the cave. It was wide and the ceiling was very high; everything around me took on a pale reddish hue in the dim lighting coming from Myranda’s flashlight. “How much further?” I asked, noticing how laboured my breaths had become the more I dragged Petyr inside the depths of the cave.

“Until those things stop following us.”

“Why don’t you shoot at them?”

“I got two solar flares left and I’m not wasting it.”

“What do you mean  _two?_ ”

“I’m all out! I’m using Petyr’s gun now, and we both know how bad of a shooter he is.”

“Yeah,” I laughed, before I turned my head to look behind me.  _I don’t know where I’m going,_  I thought, as the darkness started to close in. The distant lights of Myranda’s flashlight could barely be seen now.

“I know Ramsay brought in a bunch of weapons, but I don’t know where he put them. We must have passed them by now.”

“Unless he put it somewhere deeper in the caves,” I suggested.

“Yeah, but where? This place can go on forever.”

“Sansa?” Petyr droned, finally slipping back into a conscious state. “Where are we going?” he asked in a tired voice, it was hardly recognizable at all.

“To hell,” Richards joked.

“We’re in the caves, Petyr.”

“No,” he coughed, and I felt him slipping out of my grip. “We got to get out of here.”

“I'm sorry, Petyr, but we had no choice.”

“Get me out,” he mumbled, and I could feel him resisting me by stomping his left leg into the ground.

“Richards,” I called out annoyingly.

“Don’t distract me,” Richards argued, after the last two creatures let out a haunting squeal. “I can see them with my night vision, but barely.”

“We have a bigger issue,” I grunted, as Petyr continued to stamp his feet into the floor.

“Quiet,” Richards breathed, an awful silence fell upon us before I heard quickened footsteps just ahead of us. I froze in the darkness, too fearful to move. “Shit! They are coming for me at the same fucking time,” he groaned, before he shot into the darkness. He hit a creature that was just a foot ahead of us, and I let out a terrified scream once I realized how close it was to us.

“Petyr, lift up your leg or I’m leaving you here!” I ordered, and for once in his life Petyr did what he was told.

“Get me out of here!” he said in a hoarse tone and lifted up his leg, so I could drag him away from the fiery blue flame coming out of the dead carcass. The other creature went on top of it, hungrily tearing at its limps. Its head raised towards us once Petyr made a whimpering sound; bright golden orbs stared directly at us before it leaned onto the ground and crept towards us.

“Sansa, move!” Richards bellowed, his voice echoing in my helmet. He didn’t have to ask me twice I went faster, and I felt Petyr using his left leg to help me along.

“Let me walk,” Petyr urged. “I can hobble. I’ve done it before.”

“Whatever’s faster” I answered him before I let him slip out of my grip.

“I have the night vision, so follow me,” he relayed.

“Initalizing map,” the computer's voice echoed through my radio speakers, and I turned to Petyr with an inquisitive look, knowing it came from his end.

“Don’t want to get lost in here,” he explained. “Last thing you want to do is stumble into _their_ cave.”

“I second that!” Richards called out. The blast from his gun unexpectantly resounded, and I knew that was his last one. “Shit! He’s still alive,” Richards panicked, and I heard his feet pound against the hard floor as he ran towards us. “We got to move, guys!”

“What do you mean he’s  _still_  alive?”

“No time to explain, just move!”

“What are you doing?” Petyr shrilled, and I felt his body freeze before he shifted himself in my arms as he turned around. “Where the hell are you going, Damian?”

“Get to the Crystal Caves,” Richards answered back, his voice was fraughted with a great deal of emotion as he uttered it.

“Damian, don’t be stupid…” I felt Petyr hop in the opposite direction that we needed to go. “Don’t go any closer to it.”

“I’m sorry, old man,” Richards lightly said. “Tell Laura I love her! And my daughter, Angela, you tell her that too.”

“Richards, listen to me…”

“Goodbye, Pete,” Richards said in a broken voice, and after that his radio signal cut off.

“No!” Petyr yelled furiously. He pushed his way forward, but I held him back from behind. Petyr wriggled out of my grip, but his sudden loss of balance made him fall face forward. The sound coming from the creature was eerie, it echoed all around us in the harrowing darkness. I saw its glowing golden eyes for the first time, and they were to close for my liking. “Petyr, let’s go!” I shouted after I lifted him back to his feet.  

“I have to help him,” Petyr wearily said, as he leaned into me.

“We have to go!”

“What are you doing, man? Run!” Richards roared, from the outside speakers of his suit, and with that I pulled Petyr from behind and dragged him away from the frightening sounds that was quickly enclosing us.

“What was he thinking?” Petyr wailed, as I dragged him away. I couldn’t see anything behind me, but I knew anywhere was better than here.

A painful cry came from Richards, it was so loud it echoed off the walls of the cave tunnels. It was blood-curdling that scream, and the shrilling sound of that night creature made it even more disturbing. “Petyr,” I begged, once I felt his feet halt again. “Please, we need to go. Otherwise, we’re next.”

“Go straight,” he said in a tired voice. “Just straight.”

I knew Petyr must have seen what happened, even though he didn’t utter it aloud. He hobbled down the wide tunnel, not speaking a word. We had no time to truly grieve, we could only go forward and hope that we would find some refugee before we encountered another one of those awful creatures.

“Left,” Petyr mumbled. “Then its all uphill from here.”

“Heights,” I realized, and found my gloved hand stroking the back of his suit soothingly.

“Just go,” he sighed, and I felt the last of his strength leave him, as he crumbled to the floor.

“We should rest,” I suggested, after I crouched down beside him. “You’re tired.”

“I have no weapons… we are completely unarmed.”

“What about our oxygen level?” I worriedly asked.

“We’re fine,” he droned. “We’re in Ranium suits, remember?” He started to cough after that, and I felt his body lean on me suddenly.

“You don’t sound fine, Petyr.”

“I’m tired,” he quietly said. “I took a nasty fall back there looking for Richards.”

“You’re a good friend,” I observed, as I pulled him into my side some more.  

“No. He was,” Petyr said in a pained voice. “He killed that thing with his bare hands and a army knife.”

“He did it for you.”

“For us.” Petyr stood on his feet and started to walk up the slope. He leaned on me for support as he trekked up the rocky cliff. “Once we reach the top we’re safe. Those things don’t live up here.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know,” he answered. “For some reason they don’t like the Crystal Caves.”

“It sounds like paradise.”

“No, that’s Elisium,” he rebutted. “At least now, you understand why Elisium is so important to me. We have to do _anything_ to protect it. Will you help me?”

“Yes, of course, Petyr.”

He made no reply, but I sensed he was satisfied with my answer, for he started to trek up the rocky mountain again with a determined step. It was only then that I started to realize how much I grew to care for him, but now was not the time for such thoughts, we had a dangerously steep slope to climb and I intended for us to reach the top before the night was done.

 


	13. Distractions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the horrors that Sansa and Petyr faced in the caves they are more than willing to have a little distraction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to @Quoyan_XI because I know she will enjoy every minute of it. I hope you all enjoy the fluff!
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish

“Sansa, sweetling, take my hand will you?” Petyr asked me, as we took the last few steps to the top. He held my hand tightly, pressing it to his glass visor as though he wanted to kiss it. Petyr’s mood turned more hopeful over the last few minutes, as if the horrors of Richards death was momentarily forgotten. “You’re tired,” he noted, once he looked over his shoulder to give me an earnest look.

“That was a long climb,” I remarked, noticing how cloudy my visor had become from my heavy breathing.

“It will be worth it,” he assured me, and rested his hands on his knees once we got to the top as he tried to catch his breath

The lighting was different here, it was less dark but I couldn't tell where the source of lighting was coming from. “I can almost see,” I happily said as I wrapped my arms around Petyr from behind.

“Oh?” he teased, and I could almost picture that mischievous smirk playing upon his face.

“Petyr,” I sassily said, once he turned around and wrapped me in his arms tightly. He laughed at the warning tone of my voice and let me go with some regret.

“Alright, let’s go,” he laughed and tugged on my hands to lead me to the upper levels of the cave.

Eventually, he let me go and told me to stay exactly where I was. I heard him tinkering about in the darkness, and then I heard a low metal creaking behind me which made me jump in the air. “Don’t move,” Petyr warned. “Stay exactly where you are.”

“What is it?”

“Your worst nightmare,” he teased.

“That’s not funny, Petyr,” I chided, as the mechanical noise grew louder behind me. It went on like that for another minute before a deafening thud announced it's ending. I looked over my shoulder and felt something was different but I couldn't pinpoint what it was.

“Are you ready for the true terror?”

“Petyr,” I moaned, not liking the sound of his voice.

“3-2-1…” I held my breath with anticipation and was relieved when Petyr suddenly turned on a series of lamps along the cave floors. I looked behind me and saw that he had sealed a metal wall behind us. I then looked around and saw Petyr hiding away in the corner of the cave. He was tapping away at a small computer monitor, the blues and oranges contrasted off the darkness of the cave tunnel. I wandered over there and peaked over Petyr’s shoulder, curiously wondering what he was doing next.

“I’m setting up the oxygen machines,” he explained. “It will come on in about thirty minutes. That’s enough time for us to make it to the Crystal Caves in our suits.” He dropped his hand and took a step back before he continued, “Once we’re there you can take a nap if you like, or swim-”

“Swim?”

“Swim,” he repeated. “If you have the energy for that.”

“I just want to lie down and never move again.”

“Well, we can’t have that,” he said in a silky voice. He looked over his shoulder at me, and I knew exactly what he was thinking.

“Maybe I’ll have some energy,” I deliberated.

Petyr was quick to catch a hold of my waist and pressed me against his Ranium suit playfully. “I hope you have a _lot_ of energy before we leave the Crystal Caves entirely.”

“You need a bit of cheering up?” I asked the second I slipped out of his grip and practically skipped down the tunnel.

“Don’t you?” he asked, as he hobbled after me.

“I do,” I said sweetly, liking the way Petyr was so intent to catch up to me. _Maybe this is what we need,_ I thought, as his hands stretched out to enrapture me. _This wasn't the normal way to grieve but I just wanted to see Petyr happy, and if I’m the one that puts a smile on his face than so be it._

“Let’s play a game?” I said with sudden energy, once I slipped out of his grip again.

“What is it?” he asked, after he quickly took a hold of me, this time his arms were wrapped around my entire waist from behind.

“I try to guess something about you, and you tell me whether it's true or false.”

"Why would you want to do that?”

“Because you're so mysterious and I want to know more about you,” I replied, as I tried to ignore the way Petyr was slowing me down as he hobbled on one foot while leaning on me from behind.

“Alright,” he agreed. “I thought you liked the mystery.”

“That’s debatable.”

“Like my beard?”

“No! That’s non-negotiable.”

I heard Petyr grunt from behind before he replied, “I disagree.”

“Of course you do.” I laid my hands atop of his, and squeezed it deftly before I asked, “How many girlfriends have you had?”

"I thought this was true or false," he pointed out. My annoyed silence made him reconsider the question. "It depends,” he mused. “Like long term?”

“No, I want to hear all about your one-night stands.”

“Sassy,” he quipped.

“Annoyed,” I answered him.

“Two. There’s you and Jane.”

“How long were you with Jane?”

“Three years.”

“That’s a long time.”

“Yeah,” he quietly said.

 _He’s going to slip into one of those moods again._ I quickly took his hands and interlaced them in mine before I pointed out, “It's your turn.”

“Oh?” Petyr halted his feet and drew one of his hands to his chin to rub it incessantly. “What do you like most about me?”

“I don't know.” I started to walk backwards while thinking, taking advantage of the bright blue lights bouncing across the cave tunnel. “I like how smart you are.”

“My intellect?”

“Sure.”

“I’m flattered.”

“You would be,” I answered him while rolling my eyes. “What about you?”

“Everything,” he quickly said. “I love everything about you.”

“One thing, Petyr,” I reminded him, while I tried to evade his wandering hands again. _He’s like an octopus,_ I realized, as I back-peddled away from him.

“You’re sweet,” he replied. “I like that.”

“Is that why you call me sweetling?”

“Maybe,” he laughed, and with that he finally took a hold of me. “I just want us to be out of these suits.”

“I know exactly what you’ll do once I’m out.”

“Perhaps.” He laughed at that, and quickly took a hold of my hand to lead me down the tunnel.

* * *

Petyr, being Petyr, had a thirty minute countdown programmed into his suit. I was caught off guard once he suddenly shoved me into the wall and wrestled at my helmet to pull it off in a fury.

“Petyr!” I exclaimed, once he dropped it to the ground and began to take off his as well.

He brushed his matted curls away from his face before he placed both of his hands on my cheeks and steered me in. He licked the bottom of his lips before he kissed me, leaning into me as he pushed his face against mine. He wanted me to kiss him back, so I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and stood on my tippy-toes to kiss him. Our kisses were tender and long, lasting for far too long before he could take a quick breath to kiss me again. I needed a second to breathe, so he kissed me on the side of my cheek and let it wander over to my ear before he playfully nibbled at it.

“Petyr,” I giggled, as he wriggled it between his teeth.

“You like it,” he answered, before he leaned back to kiss my lips again. “You taste sweet,” he mused, after he licked the top of his lips lustfully at me.

“Strawberry lip balm.”

“Mint,” he cooed. “Mine is mint.”

“I know, I can taste it.”

His eyes widened with desire before he leaned me against the cave wall again to kiss me open mouthed. _Christ,_ I thought, once he slipped his tongue into my mouth and played with mine teasingly. _Petyr is definitely in a mood._

“What else do you like about me?” He drawled in a seductive voice. He was leaning his head away for a moment to look into my heated eyes, probably dilated by now from his sexy-ass kisses.

I bit down on my lips and sucked in my cheeks, feeling the strength from his silvery-grey eyes as they looked back at me. “You're a really good kisser.”

“Oh,” he mused, while his gloved hand slid behind my head to pull me in. “What else?”

“I…”

He raised his eyebrows, knowing whatever was on the tip of my tongue was intriguing.

“Nevermind.”

“Chicken?” he asked, before he pecked my lips lightly.

“Embarrassed.”

“Now, I’m really intrigued.”

“I guess you'll never know,” I teased, and leaned away from him but he quickly caught me back.

“Say it.”

“I…”

“Say- it.”

“Your good in bed,” I said embarrassingly. “Even if it was that one time-”

“There could be another.”

“Yeah,” I said lightly, and took a step away from him.

“If that’s what you want.”

“I do,” I answered him, but my voice was filled with uncertainty.

Petyr stepped into my space and reached for a stray auburn curl dangling low over my chest. He held it between his gloved fingers and looked down at it, his sole attention fixed on that thick strands of hair. I suddenly leaned in and kissed the side of his cheek, just like I did when we first met. He caught my lips when I moved back and kissed me earnestly, letting his hands trail over my shoulder before it went to the back of my nape. “Your so beautiful,” he breathed, before he deepened those kisses till I felt weak in the knees. He steered me down to the floor, following my lead, never letting his lips part from mine. He straddled me, and once he saw the small smirk spread across my face he leaned in to kiss me again.

Petyr forgot about the Crystal Caves, I’m pretty sure he forgot about the entire world around him. He just wanted his lips to be cemented to mine, never leaving them unless he could wander across the rest of my face. He made sure to leave marks on either side of my neck, laughing when I made an occasional yelping sound. “Sensitive,” he teased, as he rubbed his gloved finger across my pinkish skin. “I’ll soon fix that,” he added, before he kissed the marks gently till I moaned with pleasure.

He let out a long sigh before he tumbled to the ground and laid beside me. “Why do they have to be so far away?” he contemplated.

“Because they just are.” I rolled over to face him, kissing the grey's in his hair before I added, “This is even better than the Crystal Caves.”

“Oh, I don't know about that.”

“It is!”

“Truly?”

“Yes,” I laughed and crawled a little closer so I could lean in for another kiss.

“I needed this,” he mused, and stroked my messy curls as I laid my head on his chest. “After everything we’ve been through.”

“Richards,” I answered him, knowing where his thoughts were turning too.

“He would have wanted this,” he assured me. “He kept pushing me, you know. I just wanted to stay in my room and never let you in-”

“In?”

“Figuratively speaking. My heart, I mean.”

“Oh,” I realized, and lifted my head slightly to look at him. “I bet you regret it?”

He laughed, and I watched the way those grey eyes sparkled in the dim lighting. He lifted my head so he could kiss me and I found myself crawling on top of him to get more.

“We should go,” he finally said. “I want you to see it before the oxygen gives out.”

“How long do we have it for?"

“Five hours max.”

“Then we should get going,” I reasoned, and went up on my knees before I helped Petyr to his feet.

Petyr returned to my side once more, helmets in hand, he waved them in the air with good humour before he planted one last kiss to the side of my cheek. “It's just down here!” he bellowed, and raised my helmet in that direction.

“You keep saying that!”

“We’d be there by now, if it wasn't for your-”

“Me?”

“Yes, you!” he barked back. “With your strawberry lips.”

I broke down in laughter, leaning into him as I lost control of my feet. “Then you can't kiss me, Petyr Baelish,” I teased. “Not until we get to the Crystal Caves.”

“Agreed.” He shot me a mischievous look from the corner of his eyes, and before he could catch me I ran down the tunnel without him, ignoring his pleading calls until I reached the entrance to the Crystal Caves.


	14. My Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petyr makes a proposition to Sansa, something she can't refuse even if she tried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sweet by Cigarettes After Sex was on repeat while writing this, so I highly recommend you listening to this in the background. Enjoy the smut :)

The gentle ripples of the water was serene-like, and the gentle breeze coming from the open tunnels put me at ease. I brushed my hair away from my face before I took another step forward. The hot springs was just ahead of me, spilling out of a fountain in the floor and bubbling over to the sides. Petyr was right, you could swim in it; I dipped my gloved fingers into the clear water as I looked into the unfathomable depth.

I heard Petyr’s familiar tred against the cave floor, and when I looked at him I saw his extreme level of irritation as he stared back at me. “Nice of you to join me,” I teased, before I turned my gaze back to the rippling water.

Petyr said nothing, he simply crouched down beside me and gave me a deadly stare. “You can kiss me now,” I pointed out, while I continued to evade his angry glare.

“I don’t want to anymore,” he sulked.

“Too bad. I was looking forward to it.”

He grunted and hobbled away from me. “We’re not there yet.”

“Still?”

“Still.”

I sighed and got up from the ground, before I ran after him. “How much further?”

“About ten minutes.”

“By the time we get there we have to put our helmets back on.”

“Then maybe we should continue the game? To pass the time, at least.”

“Alright. You go first.”

“How long were you at Vasken?” Petyr asked, as we walked around the very edges of the large pool of water.

“Only a year,” I replied. “What about you? Have you ever worked for Vasken?”

“I dont like this game,” Petyr said in a smooth voice, as he entangled his arm through mine. “How about we talk about something else?”

“Like what?”

“Your promotion,” he said in a cheerful voice. “Your my equal now, remember?”

“Do I get paid?” I teased, as I leaned into him a little more.

“Everything I have will be yours, sweetling.” By the sound of his voice I could tell it was a lot.

“So, the King of Plegethon is willing to share with me?”

“Yes,” Petyr replied, and leaned in for a kiss but I stopped him by placing my finger on his lips.

“Not yet,” I reminded him, but when I looked at those luscious lips I wondered where my sudden willpower had come from. Petyr raised his eyebrows at me before he lightly bit down at my finger. “Petyr,” I groaned as I snatched it back from him.

“I’m going to show you everything,” he said as the corner of his lips tugged into a lopsided grin. “All of Plegethon will be yours.”

“You would give a whole planet to me?”

A sly smug played upon his face as he looked downwards, strange lines stretching across his smooth cheeks. “I would,” he drawled, and looked at me with such strength that it made me falter. A heavy mist suddenly blew on us, carried by the gust of wind coming from the open tunnel just ahead of us. The lighting seemed to get darker when Petyr uttered, "I’d make you my Queen,” and with that he kissed me without admonition.

“Petyr,” I breathed, as he dug his nails into the sides of my suit and deepened his kisses. He was much more aggressive this time, biting at my lower lip and stretching it out before he went in for more.

“I want you,” he said possessively. “Right here- right now.”

I wanted to argue back but I felt my resolve shaking. “Right here?”

Petyr heard me let out a small gasp as he worked me out of my suit, punching in the buttons to let it crack open. He was answering me with his sly touches and lingering kisses.

“The caves,” I moaned, as he sucked the left side of my neck.

“I can't wait,” he gruffly said, and tore at his Ranium suit as well, as he tried to get out as fast as he could. “But you said its ten minutes away.”

“Sansa, please,” he pleaded, before his hands firmly arrested me in place.

“Oh, Petyr,” I teased, as I twisted his matted curls between my fingers. “You’re so cute like this.”

“Sansa,” he breathed as he leaned his face into mine, tilting his head slightly so he could kiss me tenderly. I lost it at that, letting him take off the rest of my suit until I was just in my bra and panties. He smirked at the sight of it, and steered me to the floor so he could go on top of me.

The floor was hard and cold, a slight dampness was felt at my back from the heavy mist that was quickly falling upon us. “Here,” Petyr said, as he laid his t-shirt down on the floor beside me. “I want you to be comfortable.”

I rubbed my fingers on the side of his grizzly beard, clutching it in the palm of my hand before I pointed out a bed would be better.

“Another time,” he assured me. “I promise you that.”

His leaned over and gripped the edges of my panties with his teeth again before he began to pull it down my legs. I lifted them slightly in the air, and he thanked me by letting his deft fingers carve along the smooth lines of my calves. I leaned forward as he tossed them aside and opened my legs so he could come into the middle. I kissed the sides of his neck, while my finger trailed down his sensitive scar. Something changed when he finally looked down at me, something locked in place in each of our minds. “What are you doing to me?” he hushed, and grabbed a hold of my back to kiss me fervently.

I knew what it was, but neither of us would say it. This wasn't just sex with anyone, it was something different with him as he went on top of me and eased himself in. There was something different in the way he touched me, electrifying me with every single touch and breathless kiss.

“Sansa,” he murmured, after I let out a cry from ecstasy as he rocked me sweetly, knowing just what to do to put me on a high. I could feel his hands slip up my back, trailing unknown lines until he went to the top. I kissed him hungrily as he rang his fingers through my hair, feeling a desire that I have never felt before.

 _What is he doing to me,_ I wondered, as I made noises I’ve never made before; it was his name that finally escaped my kiss-swollen lips, a name that had become so dear to me now.

 _Has it really only been three days,_ I wondered, as he touched me in places I’ve never been touched before. _It feels like a lifetime ago._

He was prolonging my orgasm, making me want it, and he knew exactly what to do to get me crying out for more. My heart was racing as I laid my head on his soft cotton shirt, tears swimming in my eyes as he lathered my face with kisses. “Oh, my sweet Sansa,” he cooed, as he bent forward to kiss my brow. “You just want it all don’t you?”

I looked into those silvery-green eyes and he just knew what I wanted. His eyes elated with desire, his mouth twitching into a devilish smirk. “Be careful what you ask for, sweetling.”

All I did was drag my hand down the length of his scar until it was squished between our two forms. He let a small exhale, feeling the pressure between our two bodies. _I want us to be one,_ I thought, and suddenly pulled him into my chest till he got the message. A cloud of mist fell upon us, making our skin moist to the touch; Petyr took full advantage of it as he drew himself into me, making my entire body shudder as I expanded myself for him. Our breaths were quick and out of control as I positioned myself to let him in.

“Shit!” I screamed, once I found myself on a high. My lips were wide open as I let out a groan and Petyr’s lips flew down to cover my own until I couldn’t make a sound. He suddenly rolled me over and over again until we practically soaked ourselves in the warm water from the hot spring. The water sprayed the sides of our body, and I looked up to see a genuine smile from Petyr as he looked back at me. He scooped a handful of water and poured on my chest amusedly.

“Its cold,” I complained, once the water touched my hot skin.

“So it is,” he remarked, before he laid his lips on the spot that once had the water running down on it. “Thank you, Sansa,” he sighed, after he laid the side of his cheek over my shoulder.

“It was fun.”

“Fun,” he repeated in a curious tone of voice. “I wouldn't say that.”

“What would you say?”

“I don’t know,” he murmured, but by the sound of his voice I knew he had the right words in mind.

I stroked my fingers down the length of his back, feeling the ridges around his lower spine before I circled around to the side of his hip. Petyr was still inside of me, having no intention of getting out anytime soon. The water continued to hit us, those soft ripples swimming around us but not covering us entirely.

“Your sleepy,” I observed.

“I am.”

“Then let’s sleep here.”

“We just had sex here, so I don't see why not.” Petyr eased himself out of me, his seeds dribbling down the inside of my thighs. He cleaned himself up in the water and once I had enough strength I did the same. Fortunately, Petyr was wearing thick track pants earlier so we laid it across the floor and added the damp t-shirt there as well before we curled up next to each other and tried to fall asleep.

“I set a timer for three hours. That gives us at least one more hour to walk around without the suits.”

“Who knew it would take so long to get to the Crystal Caves.”

“It is a long climb, and these tunnels can stretch on forever.” He paused, and watched me nuzzle my head to the side of his chest. “Are you comfortable?”

“Yes.”

“Are you happy?”

I opened my eyes to look at him, noticing how soft his expression was as he looked back at me. “I am.”

He pecked me on the cheek before he laid his head back on the solid ground. I closed my eyes again and listened to his gentle breathing and the light, soothing sound of the water swimming across the floor. The air was warm here from the hot springs, and I found myself falling asleep in no time at all. _I’m safe here,_ I mused, and nuzzled myself closer to Petyr’s sleeping form before I fell asleep completely.

* * *

 When I opened my eyes to the sound of an alarm, Petyr was standing over me, staring at me intently as though he was lost in thought. I blinked my eyes and when I looked at him again that puzzling expression was gone.

“Good morning, sweetling,” he said in a low tenor, before a small smile spread across his tired face. “You slept well.”

“Didn't you?”

“Oh, I did… for a little while at least.” He took a step back before he walked away from me, his attention now focused on our Ranium suits.

“Petyr?” I called out, my voice trembling when I asked, “You didn't have any nightmares… did you?”

“I…” he hesitated, his hand smoothing down the crumbled orange suit. “No, not really."

“That's good, isn't it?”

“Yes, I would say so.” He returned to me with my suit in hand and added, “It might have something to do with you. You have… blotted out the past for me. I’m less haunted by _her,_ than I once was.”

The suit was placed in my hands, and Petyr offered me a smile that did not match his eyes before he turned to leave.

He was in a strange mood once we returned to our journey down the open tunnels. He was silent, too silent, as if his mind was occupied by something else. _Its her,_ I thought, as I watched that somber expression continually cross his face. I thought he had forgotten her, or at least tried too, but there it was again that long sigh as he looked down the blue lit tunnel. I slipped my hand in his, and that seemed to distract him for a moment, his eyes glanced over me with wonder. “We’re nearly there,” he said in a calming voice. “You must be pleased.”

“I’d rather you tell me what’s going? What changed from three hours ago?”

“What do you mean?”

“We had a good time, so I don't understand what changed. Why are you suddenly so moody… depressed?"

Petyr looked down at our joined hands before he raised it in the air in front of us. “You see this,” he rapped out. “This makes me happy. I haven't been this happy in a _long_ time. Years, maybe. Before I met you, I kept to myself- I hardly spoke to anyone except for the few members of the Elisium’s council, which you have already met. The fact is, you have made things _better_ for me, and for that I am forever indebted to you. But… the thing is…” he dropped our hands down to our waists and slipped his away from me. “The memory of Jane still haunts me, even now… I can see her standing here before me. You know what the trouble is with memory? You can never get rid of it. No matter how much you try.”

He stopped in his tracks and grinded his teeth together, those grey-green eyes grew cold as he stared into the abyss. “This isn’t fair for you,” he deliberated. “For us.”

“I know you don't do it on purpose-”

“Still,” he blurted out. “You deserve to know.”

“To know what?”

“She was my wife.”

 


	15. Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa finds out there is something even scarier than the creatures in the caves, and it's been with her all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was trying to hold off this chapter for a little while longer, but I stumbled upon a song "Myth" by Beach House that forced me to write this in a blind frenzy. I think the lyrics encapsulates Petyr's relationship with Jane perfectly. The lyrics are as follows:
> 
> Can’t keep hanging on  
> To all that’s dead and gone  
> If you built yourself a myth  
> You'd know just what to give  
> Materialize  
> Or let the ashes fly  
> Help me to name it  
> Help me to name it
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and feel free to comment below. I am really interested to see your reactions to a dark secret Petyr's been keeping for a while.
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish

_What does he mean his wife?_ I laid a hand on my chest, the other dropped my Ranium suit on the stony ground. Already, Petyr was taking a few steps away from me, his left hand pounding the solid wall beside him. 

 _Jane was his wife!_ This woman who’s been tormenting his mind, the very memory of her that left him sleepless at night. _The scar runs deeper than the one on my chest. Have you ever been in love, Sansa?_ I clenched my hand instinctively, feeling my body tremble from the emotional strain. My head felt like it was spinning, as a thousand question whipped across my mind. _Who is she to him? Does he still love her? Why didn't he tell me this before? And what the hell did she do to him?_

“Fuck!” Petyr cried out before he slammed his open hand into the wall and lowered his head in pain.

 _I should comfort him,_ I thought, but I was motionless as I watched him let out a mournful groan. He looked so torn, so confused, as he dragged an open hand across his face, until it covered his eyes completely.

There was a large gap between us, and I could have sworn I saw the ghost of Jane standing there. _No, I_ thought, as I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand. _She isn’t there, but she might as well be._

Petyr turned his back to the wall and sagged to the crowd, until he looked like a half crumpled form. I took slow strides towards him, my Ranium suit scraping across the ground with an irritating screech. Petyr turned his head slowly to watch me approach, his face deadpan, his eyes emotionless as they looked into my own. Richards had warned me that Petyr had been through a lot and that I needed to be patient with him, still, this was starting to feel like the last straw between us- the final breaking point. _I can't keep doing_ _this,_ I realized, as I stopped in front of him. _How am I supposed to compete with a ghost?_

“Petyr, what’s wrong?” I noticed my voice had a sharpness to it, as if the strain was finally giving way.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I just…”

“There’s something else isn’t there? Something your hiding.”

The lids of his eyes closed, his jawline tightened in distress as he lowered his head to his chest. “I killed her.”

And there it was, that haunting secret, that knife that continued to twist and contour inside of him as he laid his hand over his chest in pain. “I-killed-her,” he confessed, in between low shallow breaths.

I took a step back, wondering what kind of man I let into my life. _At least it wasn't your heart,_ I thought, _but it was pretty close._

Petyr opened his eyes and looked at me, his hand clutching his knees like a lost child. “I know what you’re thinking but it’s not like that-”

“What am I supposed to think?”

“It…” he stopped, and grinded his teeth furiously. “She…”

“Petyr,” I said in a stern voice.

“I had- I had to stop her before it was too late. I saw the plans… everything. I was helping her all along and I didn't realize-” he covered his mouth, bones piercing out of his pale white skin with a death grip. “It was all before the crash. That's when I found out everything… what I’ve been doing... building-”

“Building what?”

“The means for our own destruction.” Petyr watched me crouch down beside me, and took it as a hopeful sign. “I tried to reason with her, but she wouldn't listen. I should have seen it all along, but I was blind.”

“See what, Petyr?" I hushed. My hand gently laying at the side of his forearm, my fingers lightly stroking his bare skin. “The plans. Everything Vasken was planning for the next ten years. Everything we created would be used for their own purposes, and own our destruction. The end of mankind itself.”

“But why would Vasken want to destroy us? Isn't it all about space exploration and discovery of new world's?”

“In the beginning, yes! But not under its new leadership. Have you not wondered why your father was forced to step down?” He paused when he heard me gasp, the tightening around his arm made him look down with a wince. “Oh yes, I know of your father. Ned Stark, sponsor of the Wizen Project and the Lisco exploration that discovered an entire uncharted universe twelve years ago. Your father is known to be a very rich man, but so am I.” He blinked at me curiously, taking in my changeful expression as I tried to take in one unexpected news after another. “You might have heard of me by another name: _Littlefinger._ ”

“Littlefinger!” I cried out, finally feeling like all the dots were connecting. “You have a sector of Vasken named after you… and an entire academy dedicated to study your technological scientific discoveries.” I pursed my lips once the dots started to connect some more. “I don't understand. That sector specializes in Artificial Intelligence-”

“Ah,” Petyr breathed, realizing I was starting to know to much.

“You created Android's with advanced biological capabilities, making them almost human.”

“Almost,” he drawled. “But with a consciousness as real as ours.”

“But you hate-”

“Not always,” he cut in. “There was a time when I was like a sculptor… a God. I created life itself.” He looked in my direction and from the corner of his mouth he uttered, “Do you know what it's like to bring forth life from your bare hands? To fall in love with it? A whole generation of advanced artificial intelligence came from me…” his eyes faded, a sudden recollection came to mind. “A generation to wipe out another one.”

“Petyr,” I whispered, ignoring the half an hour buzzer coming from the outside of his suit. “What happened to your wife?”

“I tried to stop her,” he answered me. “But I failed.” He stood up grudgingly, and laid his back against the wall. “We crashed, and it was too late… there is nothing I could do to stop them.

“But you stopped her.”

“Yes,” he sneered, his mouth barely moving as he uttered it. “I did _that_ at least.”

He caught his suit in one hand and bent down for his helmet before he tucked it underneath his arm. “I imagine your scared of me now? You must think I’m some kind of heartless murder? I can assure you, I’m not.”

“But you killed your wife.”

“I did.”

“You once told me you’d kill anyone that stands in your way or threatens Elisium.” I swallowed hard before I asked, “Would you kill me?”

He looked down at his feet, his mind considering the question. “I don't know,” he admitted.

Terror struck me, and I found myself taking a few steps back. _Who is_ _this man,_ I wondered, as I felt those silvery eyes trained to me. I was terrified, my hands trembled as I pushed the Ranium suit against my chest protectively, as if that thick scrap of orange plastic could protect me from him.

“Sansa, I would never-”

“You just said you _didn't_ know.”

“I know, but-”

“You’d kill me, just like her!”

“No!” He cried, a sudden desperation came over him as he dropped his things to the ground and hobbled towards me. “Your not like her! I would never do that to you. Sansa, I swear-”

“Swear? Do you expect me to trust you, Petyr?”

“I _had_ to kill her! I had to stop her before it was too late, but she had already set the plans in motion.” He took another step forward and yelled, “I would never hurt you. Never!”

“I want to go home.”

“This is your home now,” he said bitterly. “It's all of our goddamn home, since we’re all stranded here. And believe me when I say I want to get off this fucking planet as much as you.” He was close now, anger seething through those stormy grey eyes.

“Petyr, your scaring me.”

“I'm scaring you,” he jeered. His fist clenched and then released itself as he let out a long sigh. “This is why I never told you about Jane. I knew you wouldn't understand-”

“I understand. You killed her in cold blood to preserve the human race. I'm right, aren't I?”

He grimaced, those dark eyebrows lowered over his frigid eyes. He said nothing, but his gaze alone answered me. _Oh my God, he really did kill her!_

“Sansa,” he drawled, once I took another step back from him. “It was either that, or I’d be the one lying dead in the medical bay.”

“I can't,” I breathed, and covered my mouth in horror.

“How do you think I happened to get this scar down my chest,” he relented, those harrowing eyes never left mine. “She was stronger… much stronger, but that was to be expected.”

The timer from Petyr’s Ranium suit went off again, reminding us that we only had twenty minutes of oxygen left. Petyr looked behind him before he turned around to retrieve our suits off the floor. “We should put them on,” he murmured.

“No,” I said in a frightened voice, as he stretched out his arm towards me. “Don’t touch me.”

He lowered it and went over to his own suit to slip himself inside of it. He made a low grunt once he shoved his right leg into the suit, the concave rubbing against his bruised leg. “Shit,” he murmured, once his leg was fully inside and he rubbed it profusely to ease away the pain.

I put on my own, knowing I would have to ask him for help at some point to lock everything in place, dreading it as I walked over to face him. “I need you to-”

“I know.” I turned around and felt him prodding at my back, shaking slightly with each touch pressing against me. “Give me your helmet.”

“Why?”

“Because I asked you too.” I picked it up from the ground and handed it to him, noticing the way his hands rubbed over the buttons before he looked into the inside. “Your radio system gave out. Some kind of error. You were running blind and deaf?”

I nodded my head at him, still not comfortable enough to speak to him.

“I should have never given you the beginner module. This is what happens when you try to be _kind._ ”

“What would you know of kindness?”

“I’m not the monster you so intently make me out to be.”

“You killed your-”

“I know what I did! And I have to live with it every single day of my life.” He handed me back the helmet and added, “I _loved_ Jane. No matter what she did, I still loved her… a part of me always will. So, damn your opinions of me! What would you know about love? To see the thing you love most crumble and die before your very eyes?”

Petyr suddenly turned away and snatched his own helmet before he hobbled down the last of the tunnel, which would inevitably lead us to the Crystal Caves.

* * *

“I don't think your a monster,” I argued through my Ranium suit speakers. The buzzing static noise was whistling into my ears again, it was just another thing to add to my troubles. I was so bothered with everything I hardly had time to take in the illuminated ceiling above my head. Sure, there was glistening crystals as far as I could see on the cave ceiling and walls, and yes- there was an enormous spout of water coming from the floor and a gleaming pool of water deep enough for a morning swim but my mind was too preoccupied with the news Petyr had just given me. _He had a wife! He killed his wife! He worked on Artificial Intelligence for Vasken, the very company he swore to destroy. And what did he see that made him have such a desperate struggle with his wife, to the point that his chest was severed in two?_

Petyr back was still facing me, his head lifted upward to scan the jeweled ceiling glistening in the dark. “I imagined this in my head quite differently,” he said over his shoulder, his eyes still trained ahead. “I should have never told you the truth,” he grumbled.

“Is that what you're really think?” I shot back as I made my way around him. “That it would be better not telling me the truth?”

“We wouldn't be arguing if I did.”

“Petyr,” I scolded. “You want me to trust you…. then you have to tell me everything.”

Petyr was silent, unintentionally so, for he seemed speechless as I stood directly in front of him and peered into his glass visor. “You’re not a monster,” I repeated. “But I got to admit you did scare me back there.” I rubbed my hand down my side before I asked, “So, is this threat from Vasken real?”

“Very.”

“And that's why you keep going on about protecting mankind?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure your not being… dramatic?”

Petyr silence was enough of an answer for me, he made a clicking sound with his tongue to show me he wasn't in the mood for my scepticism. “Thank you for telling me,” I whispered, and reach out for hand once more; he let his hands relax as I moulded my hand into my own.

“I just thought…” he lifted his head slightly till his gaze reached my chest. “You should know.”

“I know it's hard,” I deliberated. “It's hard for me too. To see you like this. I mean, we were so happy only a few hours ago.”

“Sansa, relationships aren't always so bright and sunny all the time,” he reasoned. “It requires work.”

“And trust,” I added. “Honesty.”

“But that comes in time,” he said in a low tenor. “Especially with me.”

“But I’m not her-”

“You look like her,” he interjected. “Just when I saw you sleeping only an hour ago next to the hot springs I thought you looked _so_ much like her, it was almost….”

“What!”

“Unnerving.”

“Well, I…” I stopped once I realized I wasn't exactly sure where I was going with this. I was angry, maybe even jealous to think I looked just like _her._ I bit down at my lip, twisting it between the sharp edges around my tooth. _I’m not jealous of Jane am I?_

“Your nothing like her though,” Petyr said with a sigh, clearly relieved at that fact. “In more ways than one.”

There was a curious glimmer in his eye, I could see it even through his glass visor. _What did he mean by that?_

“I know we haven't had much sleep,” Petyr relayed. “And we just had a terrible argument and…” he paused to look down at his hands. “And we lost Richards all to get to this stupid cave but…” he looked up at me. “We might as well enjoy the time we have here. The Crystal Caves is the number one attraction for the people of Plegethon, an expensive one at that.”

“You charge people to come here?”

“I charge people for everything.”

“Your just a money making machine, aren’t you?” I teased, and felt everything was falling into place again.

“You can say that.” He took my hand and led me about the caves, telling me interesting facts about the magnificent crystals. The way the iridescent lights reflected off the hot springs was most certainly romantic; Petyr and I sat at the very edges of the hot spring in companionable silence watching the water rise and fall, the cloud of mist rising in the air, the gentle murmurings of the water as it rippled around our boots. The peacefulness put me at ease and soon I found myself nuzzled against Petyr’s chest, his arm wrapped around my side and eventually caressing the outside of my waist.

“What are you thinking?” I asked him after a while. He tilted his head to the side, and laid a hand atop of my helmet playfully.

“Who says I’m thinking?”

“I know you.”

“Three days and you think you know me?”

“Yes.”

He made a tsking sound and dropped his hand down to my lap. “How confident you sound.” He took my hand and interlaced our gloved fingers together. “I was thinking about coincidences, and whether the universe is trying to tell me something. But of course I don’t believe in that stuff. It's just… well, I feel so comfortable around you. As if I knew you before, but that's impossible of course.”

“You said I look like Jane, maybe that's it-”

“No, it's not looks,” he argued, shaking his head from side to side. “It's something else… something _more._ ”

“I’m not following.”

“I can't put it into words, it's just a gut feeling.”

“Instincts?”

“I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders as he looked at me. “What are the odds I’d find you on this god forsaken planet? That we should…” Petyr shrugged his shoulders again, but this time it was smaller and used it to finish the rest of his sentence.

 _We should… my mind was ticking as I tried to figure out exactly what he was implying. Love? It wasn't love, was it?_ I found myself leaning off him, troubled by the thoughts running through my mind. _What is love anyways? Sure, you read it in books but how do you really know what love feels like. Petyr said he was in love with Jane and even now he had lingering feels for her, but does he have any for me?_

“You get what I mean, don't you?” Petyr asked. “Sansa?”

“I think so.”

“I just wish we were out of these suits,” he complained, showing his thoughts had turned a different direction already. “This was not what I had in plan at all.”

“It's fine,” I assured him, before I leaned into his frame again. “It's beautiful in here. Thank you for showing it to me.”

Petyr squeezed my hand tighter in reply, and leaned his head against my own as we looked at the crystals that shined like a thousand colourful stars. “Petyr,” I cooed, and waited for him to tilt his head a little before I continued, “Am I still your Queen?”

“Yes, my sweet, you are still my Queen. Although, I do recall you objecting to the idea three days ago.”

“Well, I reconsidered your proposal and I choose to accept.”

“Even after everything?” he asked with concern.

“Yes,” I confidently said. “If you’ll have me?”

“I will.” He wrapped his arms around me and leveled me to the floor so we could look at the shimmering light with ease.

Petyr was not perfect- far from it, but everything that he has been through made him the person he was today, a man that I was starting to care for, maybe even love. The ghost of Jane was still there, but it was dwindling, fading away before our very eyes. Petyr undoubtedly looked at me and saw the woman he loved- the woman he lost, but he also saw me as his second chance of happiness. I’ll probably never know all the details of what happened between the two, but I knew in time he would tell me, and that was all we needed right now… time.


	16. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petyr and Sansa get some unexpected news once they get back to their shuttle.

What was it about this man that made me desire him, in spite of everything he had just told me? He murdered his wife, sacrificed the woman he loved for a cause, but what if everything he told me was a lie? After all, this is just one side of a story, what would Jane’s be like? And why would she side against him, manipulate him to do one thing while she used it for her own malicious purposes? What was in it for her? Why would she betray the very man she loved, her husband of all people?

I tilted my head to the left to look at Petyr’s profile, his helmet resting on the sturdy ground as he continued to gaze at the shimmering crystals that casted colourful lights all about the cave. _What_ _if she_ _didn't love him?_ I opened my mouth to utter the question, but nothing could escape my lips, not when he looked so still and serene in the iridescent light. _She had to love him,_ I mused, but that thought alone unsettled me.

“I could almost sleep here,” Petyr muttered, his eyes never leaving the wondrous scene before him.

“Then sleep.”

“Hmmm,” was his only reply. His hand raised in the air and fell upon my chest, stroking the hardened casing of my suit meditatively. “I just might.”

“Did she love you, Petyr?” I finally had the nerve to ask.

“Yes, she did.” His hand froze when he considered, “In her own way.”

“Then why would she betray you?”

“Because…” he paused, and I heard him moving across the ground to sit up and face me. “Because she saw a future that was different than the one I imagined. We were both visionaries, it just didn't align the same way.”

“Oh,” I mouthed, a soft sound simply escaped my lips before I sat up as well. “I’m sorry.”

“You don't have to be sorry, sweetling.” He rubbed his right knee, letting his hands glide down the deep concave of his suit. The material was undoubtedly sturdy, no wonder Ramsay pointed out it was practically indestructible. _He should have lost his leg,_ I pondered, _with that metal slab that fell on top of him after the Damian exploded._

“It says a lot that I’m telling you this,” Petyr contemplated. “A lot about you and I.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you have any more questions?”

“How did you kill her?”

“I’d rather not…” his voice cut off. Petyr wrung his hands nervously while he stared down at it. “I’d rather not talk about that.”

“Do you regret it?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I wish I could have stopped her another way,” he answered me. “I’m not a good man, but I’m not a bad man either.”

“I don't know what you are.”

“I’m human,” he mumbled, and with that he stood up on his feet and leaned heavily on his left leg. “We should get back. It's a long climb.”

“We can't stay a little longer?”

“We could, but we should really head out now. It's 4:20 AM and day break will be up in another half an hour.” He paused, and looked over his shoulder to add, “So we won't run into those creatures.”

I took his hand and offered myself as support before I asked, “Are they near Elisium as well?”

“Sometimes they wander over there. That is the reason I have the brown shirts, they are basically Elisium’s security force. The black shirts do the dirty work for me.”

“You sound like a mob boss.”

“Well, this isn't exactly a democratic society.”

“It's a monarchy, and you are it's King,” I pointed out, as I took one last look at the Crystal Caves since we were nearing the exit.

“I have a council, so not exactly.”

“But you have the last word at the end of the day, don't you?”

“I do.”

“Why?”

“Because I am the founder… the leader.” He tilted his head off to the side to look at me. “And besides, I sponsored the Zimmerman project, so the only reason we are stuck on this planet is because of me. I believed this planet to be habitable, despite everyone else’s remonstrations. To be sure, the surface is less ideal but I knew there was something special about the caves and the minerals beneath the surface. Minerals that can be harvested for economic purposes and…”

“So, it all comes down to money.”

“You seem surprised by it?” his voice echoing off the narrow tunnel we were currently going through. Once the oxygen timed off so did the lights, so Petyr had to activate his flashlight from his helmet to navigate our way through the dark tunnel.

“In hindsight, I guess not.”

“Some minerals could help our space ships as well,” he explained. Advance our warp speed, and the distance of which we could travel. Even the Crystals you just saw could be used for our benefit. Mariam is currently studying a small sample to use for our own benefit.”

“Mariam,” I said in a low tone. “You two seem to be getting along well. Is there a history between you two?”

“She’s married.”

“I mean before that.”

“Well.” He scratched the back of his neck, but I could tell it wasn't for a sudden itch. “We might have had a fling at the academy, and after that…”

“Wow,” I teased, biting my lip at him. “You’re quite a ladies man.”

“She’s smart,” he answered me. “And we worked well together. She helped me design a few android's too.”

I looked at him suspiciously, wondering how much he was willing to confess. “She liked Jane,” he admitted. “And besides, it wouldn't have worked anyways!”

“Why?”

“She wasn't my type.”

 _What was his type,_ I wondered. He was silent after that, but it was a peaceful one this time. I started to hum _Man on the Moon_ as we slowly worked our way down the tunnel, it was a welcome distraction for my busy thoughts. Petyr didn't seem to mind, so I continued until we reached the metal wall where he once shut it behind me.

“Is it safe?” I asked, as I watched him punch a few buttons into the monitor so the doors would open.

“It should be.”

“After this it's all downhill. Will you be okay with the heights. I mean, your the only one that can see anything.”

“Hells,” he cursed and turned his gaze to me. “Is that thing still ringing in your ears?”

“Only a little,” I noted, and rubbed my hands along the sides of my helmet were the static noise continued to softly whistle into my ears.  “It's been better since you turned off the radio.”

“I’ll have Lisa take a look at it once we get back. And they will have to reconstruct me a new suit.”

The doors began to open, it was slow so I wandered over to Petyr to continue our conversation. “I like when you hobble though.”

“Oh! That's a first.”

“I feel like I’m helping you. Like you can depend on me.”

He chuckled and leaned himself onto the wall to get a good look at me. “Is that what you think?”

“Yes, Petyr Baelish, I do.”

He leaned on his left leg and tilted himself forward so he could give me a big hug. “What did I do to deserve you?” he wondered, and squeezed me a little tighter before he finally broke away. “All the same, I need my suit to be fixed so I could walk like everybody else. I like to travel all around Plegethon, there is so much more you’ve haven't seen yet.”

“Then you have to show me around.”

“I will,” he said with energy. “And I’ll take you out on my private shuttle next time.”

“Sounds like a date.”

Petyr slipped his arm through mine and steered me towards the open doorway. The metal wall closed behind us once we finally made our way out, and it was all downhill from there.

Petyr swallowed hard as his white flashlight illuminated the rocky descent. “Seven hells!” he exclaimed, and I watched him kick a rock over the edge. It felt like ages till it finally plummeted to the bottom and that was enough for Petyr to lean heavily on me. “I always hated this part.”

“We just have to take our time,” I reassured him, but that did not stop the quickened breaths coming out of his speaker.

“Let’s go,” he said through clenched teeth, and he lifted his left leg to start our descent. The wind howled through the open cave, but aside from that there was no sounds. Petyr grunted occasionally, the pain in his legs must have been heightened by the sharpness of our descent. The rocks were not leveled and at times they were loose from the occasional traveler that passed by here. It was disquieting to know we only had single light from Petyr’s light to guide our way but we managed it the best we could. It takes us an hour to get to the bottom, and when we made it Petyr crashed to the floor and let out a long sigh.

“I’d kiss the ground if I could,’ he laughed, and leaned all the way back till he was as flat a pancake. I nuzzled myself next to him and just laid there beside him in complete exhaustion.

“You should really invest in one of those hoverboards,” I gibbed. “We could fly up there.”

“If only it was that easy.” He laughed again and shifted himself to the side to face me. “That still wouldn't help with my fear of heights though.”

“Why are you afraid of it?” I asked, and pointed at the unseen sigil on the right side of his chest. “You wear the mockingbird after all.”

“I didn't get it until recently,” he explained. “It just sort of happened.”

“No trama.”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

I laid on my back again and stared into the darkness. “What I wouldn't do for a burger and fries?”

Petyr laughed as he went up on his knees. “I haven't had that since the day I crashed here.”

“You don't have any cows secretly lying around Plegethon?” I teased.

“No.”

“What about lemons? Do you have any hidden stores of lemon that I should know about?”

“What an odd thing to say,” he chuckled, and offered me his hand to lift me off the floor.

“I like lemon cake,” I pointed out.

“It's a bit sweet, isn't it?”

“I like sweet things.”

“Yes, I know,” he drawled, once I stood in front of him. “Strawberry lips, remember?”

“Ah, if only you were able to kiss me,” I taunted, as I took a step away from him.

“I’d do more than kiss you.”

“It hasn't even been 24 hours and you already want to do it again,” I said in disbelief, as I covered my eyes from the blinding light from Petyr’s flashlight. “Petyr, look somewhere else!”

“No.”

“Your going to make me blind.”

“You’re already blind,” and he turned off his flashlight to prove his point. A tense silence fell on us before I felt Petyr’s hand lay against my chest. “If only I could just touch you,” he breathed, and his other hand rested against the side of my arm. “Feel you.” I licked my bottom lip as I felt his hand wander upward until it was pressed against the side of my helmet. “Sansa…”

“Yes?” I said in a small voice.

I heard a laboured breath escape his suit, but other then that he made no sound. His grip felt firmer, and yet, the silence pursued. “I…” finally escaped his lips, but whatever he was about to say was shunned by a buzzing coming from the outside of his suit.

His hands dropped to the side and he flicked on his flashlight and quickly turned away from me. “Lord Baelish here, who is it?”

“This is Captain Ali,” a voice said from Petyr’s outside speaker. _He_ _must have put it on speaker phone,_ I realized, once he turned around to face me. “I heard you were in a bit of trouble and I’ve come to help.”

“Yes, you can say that,” Petyr said in a controlled voice. “We just left the Crystal Caves, we are at the bottom now.” He paused, and looked at the ground when he added, “How did you know we needed help? I didn't send a distress call.”

“Richards did.”

Petyr gasped for a second, his back straightened as he rapped out, “Last night?”

“No, three hours ago.” Petyr turned to me, quite forgetting his flashlight was blinding me again. “I heard the Damian exploded. I am sorry, sir.”

“No,” Petyr said in a weak voice. “That's impossible… Richards is alive?”

“He’s standing right next to me, so yes he is alive.”

“How?”

“You can thank Mariam for that,” a familiar voice replied. “These damn suits are nearly indestructible.”

“I saw it…”

“I didn't say I got off of it unscarred. My hands… I don't know if I could ever fly a shuttle again. It took me over an hour just to turn the crank to get inside our shuttle, and then sending a distress call was another painful experience.”

“I can't believe it!” Petyr gripped my shoulders and pulled me into him.

“I’m happy to hear your sounding okay. Sansa’s alright?”

“Hello Richards,” I said aierly. “Nice to hear from you again.”

“You two had fun in the caves?”

“You can say that.”

“Oh, that _kind_ of fun.”

“Petyr, needed a bit of cheering up.”

“Whatever works,” he gruffly said. “Pete! We are sending a buggy your way. I told them about your leg, and Mariam is working on a new suit as we speak.”

“I’m so happy your alive! I mean-”

“I know, it's a miracle. And don't you go on about not believing in that stuff!”

“I won't.”

“Lord Baelish,” Captain Ali interrupted. “We are sending additional men down there to search the tunnels for the weapons that were stolen from us by Ramsay Bolton.”

Petyr cleared his throat, and straightened up again. “That is excellent news.”

“And we apprehended his assistant. It was Theon Greyjoy that gave him access to the weaponry vaults.”

“Then he shall have the same punishment as the others.”

“Stranded, sir?”

“Shoot to kill,” Petyr said through clenched teeth. “I’m not taking anymore chances. I already lost the Damian… that won't happen again.”

“Your orders shall be followed.”

“Good.”

“And shall I send a message to Elisium council members that the meeting will be cancelled today?”

“Yes, Sansa and I will need sometime to rest.”

“Very well, I shall send it out now.”

“Thank you, Captain Ali.”

“Lord Baelish,” he quipped, and with that we heard a clicking noise which signaled the end of the phone conversation.

“He’s alive,” Petyr exclaimed again, his voice sounded like a cheerful melody. “Come, Sansa, I want to see him,” and with that he tugged on my arm and made me briskly walk beside him as he hobbled his way through the last of the caves.

* * *

“Pete!” yelled out Richards before he gave him a big bear hug. “You made it!”

“Thanks to you.” Petyr let his friend hug him a little while longer, before he motioned him to let go. _Petyr’s so short,_ I thought amusedly as he stood beside Richards tall frame.

“Sansa, you too!” he bellowed, and pulled me in without a second thought to hug me. It wasn't until he let me go that I noticed his mangled hands all bruised and broken with a strange looking contraption to keep his fingers straight. “Yeah, it looked worse an hour ago.”

Petyr stepped forward and asked, “Will it heal?”

“I don’t know. That thing bit the suit pretty deep. It took forever to get my hand out of it. Andrew thought we would have to amputate my arm at one point.” He held up the strange black object around his hands and waved it in front of us. “Nothing a bit of whiskey couldn't fix to take away the pain.”

“Oh, Andrew,” Petyr mumbled, and shook his head with disappointment. “That's for all of us, you know?”

“Hey!” He pointed his funny looking hand towards Petyr’s face. “I deserved it.”

“You did,” Petyr admitted with a shrug of his shoulders.

“I deserve a raise too!”

“You’ll get one.”

“And you better find a way out of here,” Richards laughed. “I don't know why I’m always sticking my neck out for you.”

“Ah, Richards drunk is a sight to behold.”

Richards laughed and leaned against the Captain’s chair, quite forgetting Captain Ali was seating there, silently tinkering away at the dashboard ahead of him.

“So,” Richards said with a sudden turn of thought. “Captain Ali took a little bit longer because he was examining a crash sight. There was another one last night… they're from Vasken.”

“Already?” Petyr cried out, leaning on me with force as he took the unexpected news.

“Yeah.”

“We picked up ten survivors. All of them are locked away in a secure place on board this ship. I transferred them here,” Captain Ali explained as he stood out of his seat. “I hope you don't mind.”

“No,” Petyr replied, and stretched out his hand for the small man to shake. “Not at all.”

“Andrew is attending to them now. There was some delay since I had him look at Captain Richards hands first.”

“I come first,” Richards teased. He was sitting on the arm of the chair now, slouching against the side as a lopsided smile continued to creep across his face.

“There life signs should be cut off by the end of the day.”

“Why so many?” Petyr asked. “Why are there more survivors than usual?”

“There was only five A.I. and two of them were human.”

“There learning,” Petyr said in a worried voice. “They are starting to realize that humans are lasting longer.”

“It's a possibility.”

Richards waved his blocked hands in the air and shouted, “No! Your just paranoid.”

“Maybe,” Petyr said as he attempted to rub his chin. The hardness of his suit made it nearly impossible.

“A lot of them were young,” Captain Ali pointed out. He adjusted his gold spected glasses until it was perfectly straight. “I’d say they are about her age,” and pointed to me. “All young and inexperienced. First time out of the space shuttle since they enrolled in Vasken academy.”

“Like me,” I murmured, and turned my gaze to Petyr with a startled expression.

“Disposable,” Petyr answered. “Not important if you live or die.”

“There was one our age,” the captain piped up. “He seems to be their leader. It took four black shirts to pin him down. The Hound was the only one who succeeded.”

“He’s a fighter,” Richards grumbled. “He’s lucky I don't have hands right now.”

“He said a few choice words to us all,” Captain Ali said lightly, though there was a vengeful look in his eyes. “I locked him up _alone._ ”

“I want to see him,” Petyr said with a sudden tone of command.

“Andrew wants to operate on him first,” Richards reasoned. “And because he’s such a big guy we have to wait till we get back to Elisium.”

“Shoot him with the gas?”

“The brown shirts think it will be easier for them. Knock him out and then take out the chip.”

“Vasken will see he has the longest life sign.”

“Let them!” Richards yelled. “Will a few more hours make a difference?"

Petyr made a clicking sound with his tongue, he looked at each of us through his glass visor before he answered, “It will.”

* * *

“You’re ready?” Petyr asked. He was dressed in his standard white uniform now, his hair was freshly washed and I could smell a waft of his sage and mint body wash; his cologne lingered wherever he went in the small waiting room.

“I am,” I replied, and zipped up my uniform all the way. Petyr rubbed away a crease and let his hand rest atop of my shoulder.

He leaned forward and in a raspy voice whispered, “Let me do all the talking. I want you to watch and listen.” His lips were pressed against my ear as he uttered in a hush tone, “Tell me everything you observe."

“I will.”

He kissed my ear and let it stay there as his lips pressed against the sharp curve at the top, lightly nibbling at it till I pressed my hands to his chest. “Shouldn't we get down to business?”

“Yes.” His tongue jutted out at the corner and licked his entire bottom lip. “Alright, let's go.”

Petyr laid his hand on the security monitor and waited until the lights flashed and granted him access. The metal doors slid open and he slipped his arm in mine so I could lead him into the room. We walked right up to a glass case where a man was hunched over in his seat with his back to us, attending to his wounds the best way he could.

Petyr waited and watched the blonde haired man, learning as much as he could before he sensed our presence. The man abruptly turned around and had a wide eyes expression when he noticed our two figures.

“Sansa!” he yelled, and dropped his bloody shirt to the floor that was once holding his open wound in his arm. “Sansa Stark,” he laughed, and leaned against the glass, letting his bloody hands smear the once clean surface.

Petyr turned to me, not liking the way this half-naked man looked at me. He leaned into my ear and whispered, “You know this man?"

“He’s…” I looked back at the tall, wiry figure of the man I once fell in love with, though it was short and brief the memory was still vivid in my mind. “... a friend.”

“A friend,” Petyr drawled from the corner of his mouth. He caught my wandering eye before he hushed, “He doesn't look at you like a friend.”

“What are you two whispering about?” the man in question called out. “Your telling him to let me out of here, aren't you?”

Petyr narrowed his eyes at me, taking in the sudden blushness to my cheeks.

“Come on! After all, we’ve been through you could at least do this.” The man’s eyes trailed my womanly figure up and down before he confessed, “And we did have a good time, if I remember it right?”

Petyr’s grip in my arm tightened, he hobbled over to the glass until he was leveled with the blonde haired man. “What is your name?”

“Jamie Lannister,” he replied, as he tried to look over Petyr’s shoulder to get another glimpse at me. “What’s yours?”

Petyr silently hobbled away from him and resumed his place beside me, though he looked in control I could tell he was fuming inside. “Depending on what Sansa tells me I will decide whether you are a friend or foe,” he relayed. “I can only hope she tells me something good,” and with that he tugged me away from the prison cell and led me out the room without a second look back. I did however, and I caught Jamie puckering his lips at me as though he would kiss me and ended it with a flirtatious wink.

 


	17. Emptiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once they get back to Elisium, Sansa is left on her own. Left to her own devices, she starts to uncover secrets of Petyr's past and his potential plans for their future.

“Petyr,” I pleaded the minute we were out the door. His hand pressed firmly at the bottom of my spine leading me down the wide hallway until we reached the shuttle’s elevator. He pressed the botton and tapped his right leg impatiently as the humming noise of the elevator told us it was fast approaching. “Petyr, please. Let me try to explain-”

“Not here.”

The elevator chimed and the door flew open for us. He hobbled in without me, leaning on the doorway as he made his way through.

“Then when?”

“When we are in _our_ room,” he snapped. _When did it become our room,_ I wondered. Petyr continued to tap his foot on the elevator floor, his face had a permanent scowl as he looked at the solid metal door in front of him.

The door swung open and he practically hopped out and started to hobble down the hallway without me. _What's gotten into him,_ I wondered, as I watched a few grey shirts nodded their head in respect as he passed by and Petyr simply ignored them. He rounded the corner and was gone, so I had to pick up the pace just to find him.

I saw him at the end of the hall placing his hand on the security scanner before he threw open the door and sauntered into the room. The door slammed behind him and I was left with nothing but an empty feeling by the time I reached the door as well. _He’s jealous,_ I realized, and I found that fact somewhat amusing.

Petyr opened the door after I knocked on it once and stood to the side for me to enter the room.

“Petyr, please!” I scolded. “Your overreacting-”

“Did you sleep with him?"

“What?”

Petyr slammed the door behind him and made his way towards me with an angry glare. “You heard perfectly well what I just said.”

“Petyr,” I chided once he stepped into my space. He was close, and the heat from his gaze unsettled me greatly.

“No!” he yelled, and took a hold of me once he saw me take a nervous step back. “Answer my question.”

“Alright, fine! Yes, it was one time.” Petyr swallowed hard before he averted his gaze from me. “There's nothing to worry about.”

“Isn't there?”

“No,” I said in a strained voice as I tried to take another step back. “He was my officer in command seven months ago. It was one time, Petyr, we just had to get it out of our system.”

“One time,” he jeered, and the look in his eye told me he didn't believe me.

“Really, it's nothing to worry about,” I entreated and finally relented by stepping into his space.

He grunted while he narrowed his eyes at me. _Petyr doesn't believe me._

“Will he be a problem if I keep him here?” His fingers dug into my skin as he added, “Or should I kill him now while I still have the chance?”

“Kill him?” I exclaimed with a puzzled expression. “Why would you do that?”

“It's just a question,” he said from the corner of his mouth. “That doesn't bother you, does it?”

“No,” I lied.

“Are you telling me the truth?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll give the orders to execute him now,” he replied, before he slipped out of my arms.

“No!” I called out, just before he laid his hand on the security scanner. “Don't- don’t kill Jamie.”

“Jamie,” he sneered.

“Please.” I walked over to him and laid both hands on his forearm that was closest to me. “He doesn't deserve to die.”

“Why should I keep him around?”

“He’s a good military commander,” I pointed out. “And he has powerful friends in Vasken. The Lannisters own half of the company by now with all the stocks they invested in it.” Petyr appeared interested and waited for me to say more. “And besides, Tyrion is his brother. Tyrion might be more invested in Elisium and our cause if you keep his older brother around.”

“I don't know,” he breathed. “There is something in his eyes I don't like.”

“You’re just jealous that's all.”

“Maybe,” he said as he tilted his head to study me. “Maybe not.”

I laid my hands on his chest and gilded it upwards till I wrapped it around the back of his neck. Petyr leaned in with a heavy gaze, anticipating the kiss I was about to give to him. “You are, Petyr Baelish, and I’m loving every second of it.”

“I’m not.”

“Oh?” I purred while playing with his curly hair. “Then let me make you feel better.” I laid a fleeting kiss on him and watched his expression as he silently asked for more. I tangled my fingers in his thick curls before I drew him forward to kiss him more. My hand slipped downward and began to unzip his uniform, hearing the zipping noise as he uniform started to unravel the lower my hand went. My hands laid across his bare chest, feeling the hotness of his skin, the soft tufts of hair on his chest and then the silver scar that penetrated his skin. He watched me as I eyed this scar, now knowing exactly how it came to him. _No wonder he left me in the changeroom that day._

“What are you thinking?” Petyr asked in a husky voice, his hands cupping my ass as he looked at me.

“She didn't deserve you,” I selfishly said. “But I do.”

I took his hand and led him to bed, not caring if I offended him one bit as I reclined him down into the bed before I went on top of him.

* * *

“Petyr?” I asked, as I blinked open my eyes and found myself in a strange room. _It's Petyr’s room,_ I remembered, and started to recall that I was back at Elisium. After we arrived, Petyr insisted that I take a nap once we reached our headquarters. He joined me for a little while at least, but considering how empty and silent his room is, Petyr was long gone by now.

I crawled across his bed and stretched myself out before I let my bare feet touch the warm floor. There was light coming from his circular window, a faint red light that illuminated his all white room. I noticed a picture next to his bed stand; he was young in this one with a freshly clean face and long moppy hair. I lifted the picture frame up and studied the large group of people in the photograph, all of them wore the traditional navy blue Vasken uniform. _Petyr_ _looks so uncomfortable,_ I thought, taking in his shy expression as he stood off to the side. I only recognized one other face in the picture and that was Mariam, a fact that made me groan inwardly before I placed the photograph down.

 _She wasn't my type,_ that's what Petyr said, _but what is his type then?_

I threw on his robe and sauntered out his room at a lazy pace. I called out his name a few times, and eventually wandered over to the living room where I first met him three days ago. Amongst the jumbled books stacked high on the coffee table was a note from Petyr. His handwriting was neat and to the point, informing me that he was out and would be back in time for dinner. _When’s dinner,_ I wondered, after I folded the note and stuffed it in his robe pocket.

I was thirsty, so I went into the kitchen and poured myself some water. _It tastes fine,_ I mused, and then started the coffee machine in a vain attempt to wake myself up. His kitchen was immaculate and extremely organized, everything had its place and I noticed Petyr had set up all the cutlery and plates in pairs. _Did I just move in,_ I wondered, after I shut off the coffee machine and settled for tea. There was a programmer too, so I tinkered with it a bit before I settled for egg quiche. I made myself a salad and soon my plate was full of food by the time I sat down at the kitchen table. _I wish Petyr_ _was here,_ I mused, as I looked around the empty room. I could almost imagine him stealing a bite of my quiche, and the very image made me laugh. _I miss him,_ I realized, and wondered how he was able to affect me in so short a time.

Once I was done my meal I cleaned up the place and headed back to my room to get dressed. I opened my closet to find a whole array of white uniforms freshly pressed and placed on bronze coloured hangers. I rubbed my fingers over the silver mockingbird sigil before I headed to the bathroom to put on my uniform.

Petyr made sure all my needs were attended to, the bathroom was stocked with womanly things: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, a hand dryer and a wonderfully scented perfume. I bit my lip as I looked at my reflection, realizing how truly spoiled I was.

 _Where's Petyr,_ I thought for the tenth time since I woke up from my nap and strode out of my bedroom in search of him. The house felt empty without him, so I zipped up the last of my pristine uniform before I descended the dusty red steps to go outdoors.

The hallways were crowded once I was outside, it was clear it was lunch hour for everyone was heading to the business district where there was an abundance of restaurants and casual cafeterias. I stood on a step and watched them all; brown, black, white and grey shirts mingled together as they walked down the hall. There was a few in a cool blue as well, and I had to remind myself to ask Petyr about that.

“See anything interesting?” a familiar voice asked, and I looked beneath me to see Tyrion Lannister staring back at me.

“Oh, I didn't see you.”

“It's because I’m little,” he pointed out, as he casually walked up the steps to reach me.

“How are you?” I asked in my sweetest tones, though I noticed he had a suspicious look in his eyes.

“I might have asked you the same thing, given how many adventures you’ve had in the last twenty-four hours.” He put a hand on his hip while the other stroked his beard. “So, I heard you’re getting along quite well with Lord Baelish.”

I blushed immensely and quickly turned my gaze elsewhere. “Why would you say that?”

“Your living with him,” he said in a condescending tone of voice.

“I didn't really have a choice in that matter.”

“I suppose he forces you to sleep with him as well.”

I cut my eye at him, offended at what he had just said. “That's none of your business!”

He bit his top lip as he looked up at me, and once he had his fill he puckered his lips with obvious frustration. “I just want us to stick together,” he assured me. “Jon feels the same way.”

“I don't know what you two are worried about! I am perfectly fine.”

“Can't you see he’s reeling you in?” Tyrion shook his head angrily from side to side. “He is only using you to get more information about Vasken! And if that doesn't work he has your name, Stark, that is enough to make you a valuable hostage.”

“I am not a hostage!”

“From my understanding you are,” he gibbed. He pointed upwards were the staircase was and added, “Or have you never seen a fancy prison cell before?”

“It isn't like that,” I retorted. “Petyr and I-”

“So, it's Petyr now!”

“Yes, it is!” I shot back.

“Well, you can tell your precious Petyr that I wanted Jamie back... unharmed! And don't think for one second that I don't know he’s here.”

“I didn't-”

“And I want to speak to him _alone._ ”

“Tyrion, what's gotten into you?”

“Lord Baelish, that's it!” he shouted, and with that he turned away and waddled down the hall where everyone else seemed to be going.

* * *

“Something's bothering you?” Richards asked, as he reclined himself further on the couch. He was dressed in a white tank top and camo pants, the muscles in his arms bulged periodically whenever he moved them around to get in a more comfortable position. I was in his living room, sitting on the other end of the couch with a glass of water in hand. I came to check if he was okay after the incident, but now he seemed to be doing the same thing about me.

“I got in an argument with an old friend,” I explained. “It's just bothering me, that's all?”

“What happened?”

“He thinks Petyr is using me.”

“Pete uses everyone,” he laughed, while his eyes were still trained to an old basketball game from the twentieth century.

“Then why does it bother me?”

“I don't know.”

“Tyrion’s wrong,” I grumbled.

“The Lannister!” he blurted out and turned to look at me for the first time. “He’s just angry because we have his brother in custody still. Petyr wants him to be interrogated.”

“For what?”

“He wants to know why he was sent down to the planet, and what his specific job was.”

“Military,” I reasoned. “You saw how strong he is with his bare hands, now imagine if he had a weapon.”

“No, it's more than that,” Richards argued. “Least that's what Petyr thinks.”

“I wish he was here,” I moodily said.

“You really like him,” he noted, and eyed me from the corner of his eye.

“Yeah, I do.”

“I’m happy. It's about time Petyr fell in love again.”

“I know about Jane-”

Richards made a hissing sound through clenched teeth. He looked at me full on now and uttered, “I don't think we should talk about that.”

“It's okay, Richards. He told me everything.”

“Everything?” he mouthed, and by the look in his eye I could tell he wasn't entirely certain.

“Yes.”

He fidgeted in his seat nervously, before he answered, “If you say so.”

“I know he killed her.”

Richards eyebrows raised in the air with surprise. “Wow! He told you that part?”

“Yeah.”

“And your still with him.”

“Yeah.”

“You really do love him,” he muttered, before he turned his gaze back to the hovering monitor. “The Bulls better win this!”

“Richards,” I said in a shaky voice. “Did you know her?”

“Jane? Yeah, I knew her.”

“What was she like?”

“Insanely smart. Alert, attentive, always on the ball.” He shifted in his seat as he considered the question. “We didn't really talk, since we were in completely different divisions. I was in military and then transferred over to aerial. I wanted to fly shuttle crafts.” He let out a small sigh and continued, “Petyr was crazy about her. I mean, he was always with her. They were practically inseparable, and they worked together a lot. It was only a matter of time till things became romantic, but I always pictures it on one side and not the other.”

“Why?”

“I always thought Jane had no real emotions,” he said and shrugged his shoulders with indifference. “I found her cold.”

“Petyr can be that way,” I mused.

“Petyr can be a lot of things, but he’s never cold. Trust me, Jane was worse.”

“I feel like I have to compete with her,” I complained. “Like her ghost is always getting in our way.”

“Haunted by Jane,” he teased. “It could be worse. She could come back from the dead.”

“She can't do that.’

“She could,” he replied while he tilted his head downwards. “Then you’re really in trouble.”


	18. The Mole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone has been conspiring under Petyr and Sansa's nose all along, and it could cost them everything.

My head was down, deep in thought as I considered everything Richards had told me when I suddenly heard my name being called out among a crowd of people. Work hours was finished and now everyone was making their way back to their quarters. I spotted Jon in the center of the crowd, his grey uniform stained with oil and grease. He gave me a friendly wave before he made his way over.

Jon gave me a strong hug, nearly taking my breath away by the time he let me go. “I heard you were out! Tyrion told me.”

“And did he tell you what he said,” I protested, as I wiped away the grey smears off my once clean uniform.

“We’re both worried about you,” he insisted. “I only want you to be safe.”

“I am _safe,_ ” I drawled out with annoyance.

“He’s not the man you think he is, Sansa! I heard things about him-”

I interrupted him by yelling out, “Look! If you came here to talk bad things about Petyr-”

“That's not it.”

“No?” I laughed. “Cause it sure sounds like it.”

“He wants to start a _war_ with Vasken. A whole vault of weapons to disrupt or destroy A.I., and he wants to target the head administration of Vasken as well.”

“Good!”

“Sansa, you can't mean that,” he professed with a great deal of feeling. “We work for them, or have you forgotten that?”

“Used too. They think we’re dead now.”

“Tyrion is trying to contact them,” he said in a hush tone, leaning into me while he uttered it. “We can find our way home again.”

“Noooo! That will only let them know we’re here!” I shook him violently and said, “They’ll come looking for us! Oh Jon, you know nothing!”

“I know enough,” he argued. “I know that Lord Baelish brainwashed you.”

“No, he is trying to help us… save us-”

“From what?”

“Vasken!” I shrilled, and with that I ran down the hall in search of Petyr.

* * *

 Petyr was impossible to find, but when I did he was in the security sector having a deep discussion with Kong and a few other black shirts.

Kong was the first to notice me and took a protective stance in front of Petyr. “Wait! I need Petyr,” I pleaded, as a few other guards began to surround me.

“Hold it!” Petyr ordered, recognizing my voice immediately. “Let her through.”

They parted and I was startled to see a man I hardly recognized. His hair was neatly trimmed and his face was clean shaven. _His beard is_ _gone,_ I thought, and found myself smiling at the sight of him. _God, he looks good!_

“Sansa, what is the matter?” he brisky asked, his commanding tone of voice brought me back to the present moment.

“It's Tyrion! I think he- he…” I halted once he took slow, measured steps towards me. His cane thumping against the ground heavily, his grip inexplicably tight around the hilt. “I think he found a way to contact Vasken, or at least tried too.”

“Kong,” Petyr said in a controlled voice. “Arrest Tyrion Lannister immediately and take him in for custody.” His eyes widened for a moment before he added, “And have his room searched! Jon Snow’s as well.”

“Why Jon?”

“Because I have my men tail them, and they spend an awful amount of time together.”

“But Jon isn't guilty?”

“You seem so certain of it,” he countered.

“Jon isn't smart enough to do it.”

“No,” he drawled. “But he would try to help him somehow.” He looked over his shoulder at the last remaining guard and instructed, “Have him arrested as well.”

I watched the last guard go before I charged at Petyr and begged him to change his mind. He was impassive, disinterested in my pleas and I found nothing I could say would change his mind. “We all have to make hard decisions, Sansa,” he finally answered. “You will see that this is the right decision in time.”

I buried my head in his chest, knowing he was right but hating every moment of it. He was quick to comfort me, and whisper sweet nothings till I lifted my head to face him. “You're not going to kill them, are you?”

“It depends…” his lips opened but no other words would come out.

“Not my brother, at least.”

He pursued his lips and tilted his head downwards. In his own way, that was the only answer he could give. I dug my fingers into his shoulder and let out a small whimper. “Will you have me choose between you two?”

“No, Sansa.”

“Then why are you doing this to me?”

“Let's just hope they didn't get in touch with Vasken,” he said in a hoarse voice. He took my hand and led me away from the security quarters. “I am tired and haven't eaten all day. You will join me for dinner, won't you?”

I whimpered in response, and buried my head in the side of his arm. “Sansa,” he breathed, and I felt his breath brush across my brow. “You know I don't want this but-”

“You can change it. I know you can!”

“You do realize how many lives are at stake because of them. The only reason I am not killing them right now is because Jon is your brother and Tyrion is your friend. But-” he looked away from me now, and turned his gaze elsewhere. “If I found out they really did get in touch with Vasken they will suffer the consequences, no matter how much it will hurt you.”

“Us!” I implored. “I could never love you, if you do that.”

He was silent on the subject matter, and yet, his hand remained in mine as he led me down the half-crowded halls to our quarters.

* * *

We ate our dinner in silence, most of the time I was simply shifting the food from one side of the plate to the other. I was nervous for Jon and Tyrion, hoping they weren't foolish enough to carry out their plans.

“I think you should know,” Petyr said in a quiet voice. “Jamie told me everything.”

 _Oh God,_ I thought, and my cheeks immediately flushed a bright shade of pink.

“He was…” Petyr broke the bread grievously. “Most explicit.”

“Ah.”

“I think it's safe to say that I do it better.”

I dropped my fork and knife on the table before I retorted, “You would say that!”

“Only- because- it's- true,” he said in between bites.

“You’re so full of it,” I argued while I rolled my eyes at him.

“You haven't denied it.”

“Okay,” I drawled. “You’re better.”

He winked at me and shot out, “Thought so.”

“Did he tell you anything else?” I asked, as I twirled the pasta around my fork.

“They were sent here to investigate. It’s as I thought…” he put the rest of his bread down on the side plate and looked up at me. “They know we’re here. Humans, I mean. It's only a matter of time before they go through the deceased records and find out I’m here.”

“What are you going to do?”

“For starters, I am going to intensify security,” he piped up. He wiped his hands on a napkin and tossed it to the side of the table. “Make sure our emergency shuttle is up and running. Also, that the caves are clear from those night crawlers just in case we need to make a last minute escape down there.” He leaned back on his chair and fidgeted with the pale white ring on his little finger. “I suppose, I’ll have to give you all my plans just in case something happens to me.”

“Nothing will happen to you.”

“Jane warned them about me before she died. I’m their number one target. They know that _I_ know how truly dangerous they are.” He crossed his arms against his chest and mused, “And when they do find me they will either kill me or use me to finish my creations.”

“They won't find you.”

“No,” he relayed in a low voice. “It will _never_ come to that.” He noticed my troubled expression and stood up from his seat. “You look unhappy,” he observed. “Come, I want to show you something that will put a smile on your face.”

* * *

I gasped at the sight of it, the open window letting the warm sunshine in, the cool summer breeze brushing past our forms. Petyr was just in his plaid boxers, leaning on his left foot as he gazed outside. There was chirping of birds right outside the window, and I saw their grey forms flutter across the blushful sky. Petyr reached for my hand and I interlaced them together, feeling his thumb brush against the outside of my hand.

“Where are we?” I asked in a hush tone, while my eyes flickered across the happy scenery.

“My home,” he replied. “If we were on Earth at least.”

I hugged him and pressed myself against him as I looked out the window again. “Earth,” I mouthed, and he tilted his head to arrest his lips with mine.

“This is a holodeck,” he explained. “Anything you can imagine the machine will create. I wanted to take you _here._ ”

I rubbed my hand down his smooth cheek, liking the way it felt beneath my finger tips. He swooped down and kissed me again, deepening it with each one and I knew for certain that he loved me.

“Petyr,” I sniffed, feeling a wave of emotion come over me. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you,” he said in a deep voice. “I’m so happy you came into my life.” His hands arrested my waist and pushed me upwards so he could kiss me harder, letting his lips press against mine. He was filled with a passion and when he finally parted our lips his fingers grazed my dark auburn hair and shined it in the sunlight. “Your the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

I led him to the couch next to the window and leaned myself against it until he reclined my body downwards. “Sansa,” he cooed, as he kissed every piece of skin he could find. “Sweetling,” he breathed, as he kissed my stomach, my chest, the hollow ridges of my collarbone. He pulled down my bra strap and let it slide down my arms. “Your like a dream,” he murmured, and those deft hands rubbed down my thighs as I worked the bra off completely.

“Oh, Petyr,” I purred, as I rubbed my hand down his smooth cheek. He smiled at me, and I knew he was truly happy to see him this way.

“Do you believe in soul mates?” he asked quietly, as he watched me sink deeper into the couch. 

“Not really.”

“Neither do I,” he surmised. “But when I’m with you sometimes I wonder.” His finger trailed a wandering line across my body as he looked at me. “Sansa?”

“Yes?”

He visibly hesitated and then leaned in to kiss me, letting it last as I wrapped my arms around him. I closed my eyes in bliss, savouring every second but then I heard a droning sound overhead and I opened my eyes to see the lights flicker. “The power,” Petyr murmured, and looked behind him to see the pale ceiling disintegrate and turn into an ominous grey.

“Lord Baelish,” a voice said through unknown speakers. “Lord Baelish?”

Petyr crawled off me and strode over to the open window. He stuck his hand through it and immediately the scenery around us faded away until I was left on the bare floor of an empty room. I looked around at the grey walls and ceiling, taking in the sole figure of Petyr punching buttons on a tiny monitor.

“This is Lord Baelish here,” his brogue heavy as he uttered it. “What do you want?”

“We found something, sir. You might want to come look at it.” There was a slight pause when the speaker added, “You better hurry.”

* * *

Petyr hobbled ahead of me as we approached the security quarters. He was silent the whole way there, letting me know how truly concerned he was. Kong was the first one there when we entered, he stopped speaking Mandarin to his fellow co-workers when Petyr looked at them all with an unasked question.

“Well?” Petyr bellowed when the silence stretched on for far too long.

“We searched Tyrion’s room and found a micro-computer. It was destroyed by him, but Mariam and her team were able to reconstruct the records, including the last message Tyrion sent.”

“Which is?”

“He contacted Vasken-”

“Shit!”

“You should look at it,” Kong suggested, and moved aside so Petyr could see the table behind him.

“Sansa,” Petyr instructed, and beckoned me to follow him. “I want you to see it too.”

The message was retyped for Petyr’s convenience, there was a few words missing but the meaning was clear. Tyrion was the mole, the snitch that revealed all of Elisium’s secrets including its infamous leader- Petyr Baelish. “How would he know the exact coordinates to this base?” Petyr asked, once he looked up from the sheet of paper for a brief second.

“We believe Jon Snow helped. His position as engineer would have required that information.” Petyr turned his head and gave me a meaningful look.

“Petyr, please,” I begged in a small voice.

His teeth clenched when he looked away, and I just knew nothing I could say could change his mind. “He told them about our weapons,” Petyr spat out, his eyes averted to Kong. “When they come they’ll be armed.”

“I’ll get my men ready.”

“We have to evacuate.”

“Understood.”

“Does Mariam know?”

“I told her about Tyrion.”

“She’ll never forgive me,” he said from the corner of his mouth. “She warned me about him too.”

Petyr laid the typed paper on the table and walked away from it. “Sansa,” Petyr called over his shoulder, and waited for me to approach him before he asked, “Who’s side are you on?”

“Yours.”

“You realize what that means, don't you?”

I looked down at my feet and bit my bottom lip as I considered the question. “You want me to go against my brother?”

“I want you…” he leaned on his cane heavily as he turned to face me. “To assure me that you’ll take over for me. Promise me, that you’ll do anything you can to protect Elisium.” He took my hands in his own and I noticed they trembled a bit. “Promise me, Sansa.”

“I…”

“I _need_ you to do this for me.”

“Okay.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, I promise.”

He squeezed my hand tenderly before he let it go. “Kong set up Sansa for all the security protocols, including the classified ones.”

“Understood, sir.”

“That should take about an hour, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Contact me when she’s done. I have to pay someone a visit.” He left me after that, and it was one of Kong’s co-workers that directed me to a smaller room that resembled an office space.

For the next hour I created my security password: Lady, and had my retina and hand scanned. A jolt of excitement came over me when the worker informed me that I was now able to access the classified information.

“We’re just in time. Lord Baelish is outside waiting for you,” the man said cheerily, and led me out of his office to meet Petyr’s curious gaze.

“What a long day,” he droned as he hugged me, leaning us side to side playfully to show he wasn't entirely in a bad mood. “Mariam almost had my head.”

“Why?”

“Because I assigned Tyrion Lannister in her department, in spite of her objections. She was right all along.” He shook his head as he uttered, “Why is she always right?”

“Now, what do we do?”

“You have total control over Elisium, just as I. You are entirely my equal now.” I offered him half a smile, trying to hide the vague sense of being overwhelmed by the prospect. “There is still so much work to do before the night is done. Come with me.” He took my hand and led me out the room and soon we were passing a series of doors before we went down a flight of stairs. It took Petyr a while but he didn't complain and soon we're in the prison section and I dreaded what I should find there.

“Jamie?” Petyr asked, once he spotted the first security guard dressed in all black. He was pacing the hallway while armed with a heavy phaser gun, and the sight alone made me lean next to Petyr’s frame.

“Orders carried out, sir.”

“Show me.”

The guard opened the steel door for us and I immediately smelled the scent of death. I covered my nose as we entered the room and Jamie’s bruised and bloody body was sprawled out on the floor. Petyr poked his chest with his cane and once satisfied walked out the door without me.

“Did he say anything else?” Petyr asked the guard from the corner of his mouth.

“No.”

“Pity,” he said in a sly little voice, the corner of his mouth curled into a smile. “I almost wished I was there to watch it.”

He strode down the hallway without me, and I found myself fearing this man who would go to any length to protect Elisium. He waited for me to be by his side before he motioned a new guard to open the door for us. Tyrion Lannister was tied up to a chair, his mouth covered with a white bandage that wrapped around his mouth. Petyr unscrewed the hilt of his cane to reveal a dagger attached to it.

Tyrion whimpered in fear as Petyr hobbled towards him. “Afraid?” Petyr asked, before he knelt on his knee and sliced the fabric around his mouth in two. “Good.”

“Sansa, stop him!” Tyrion yelled the moment he was able to speak. “You don't know what he is!”

“Is this your last attempt to save your life?” Petyr drawled as he got off the floor.

“He’s _Littlefinger!_ The creator of A.I.-”

“I know who he is,” I answered him.

“Then you know he's a mad man! Trying to destroy his own creations.”

“Tyrion that’s enough!” I snapped.

“You really think you can destroy Vasken,” the prisoner sneered. “They are coming for you, Littlefinger! And when they do they will take every last weapon you have!”

“And kill us all,” Petyr murmured.

“No, they understand we’re civilians. I told them that the people on this colony are innocent.”

“Did you really…” Petyr bent down to get eye level with the man. “...believe they would take your word for it?”

“They never answered back,” Tyrion mused. “But I contacted my spaceship on emergency signal so it would take some time for them to reply.”

“It doesn't help that you destroyed your machine,” Petyr drawled.

“No,” Tyrion assented. “But it was the only way you couldn't read the message.”

“Oh, I read it,” Petyr said in a silky voice as he turned around. He walked out the door and signaled a guard to come over. “Thank you,” Petyr whispered as he stretched out his hand to the guard. A handgun was placed in the palm of his hand and Petyr gripped it with relish. “When you see your brother,” Petyr said with a little smug. “Send him my regards.”

His gun went off and Tyrion slunk in his chair from the blow, blood dripping down his chest before his head dropped down and fell against his chest.

Petyr gave me a menacing look before he turned and abruptly left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I am nearing the end of my story. I just wanted to thank anyone who is still reading this story, and I hope I didn't overwhelm you to much with the frequent updates. Once I get into a groove its hard to slow it down. 
> 
> The next few chapters will not go the way you expect it, so I will have to ask you something. Trust me... no matter what happens in the future I just want you to remember that. As much as I like angst in my stories I don't intend to break your heart completely. 
> 
> Now that I have your full attention I am not entirely sure when the next update will be so make sure to bookmark or subscribe to "The Stars and Back" 
> 
> If you ever have any questions or want to get in touch you can find me on tumblr under the username petyrbaaaeeelish or message me on instagram under the same name. As always, feel free to comment... I promise I won't bite lol. 
> 
> Thanks again,
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish


	19. One Last Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a first for everything, but there is also a last. Petyr and Sansa are starting to find out that time is running out- Vasken is coming, and the empty halls of Elisium is a grave reminder of the danger that is soon to come.

“Petyr!” I yelled in anger as I raced after him. I saw his right arm tense before he raised the gun to his chest and pulled the reloader.

“Don’t!”

He kept walking with a determined step down the corridor. I sprinted after him and just when I was just behind him he swiveled around and pointed the gun at me. “Don't make me do this,” he said in a raspy voice.

“What! Your going to kill me too?”

“No.” He bit down on the corner of his lip and tilted his head to the side. “But I won't have you get in the way.”

“Jon didn't do anything!” I shrieked and moved towards him but he raised the gun higher.

“Sansa,” he drawled. “Step down.”

“I won't let you kill him.”

“Step-down.”

“Petyr,” I bitterly said, and grinded the heel of my foot into the ground.

His jaw tightened and then he suddenly lowered the gun to the ground. “You know what I must do.”

I stepped towards him again, ignoring the subtle flinch of his hand as I approached him. _He won't kill me,_ I thought, _I know he won't._

“Sansa,” he warned. “My feelings for you will not get in the way-”

“You won't hurt him,” I cut in. “Because you know it will hurt me.” Petyr visibly tensed as I came forward, his lip puckered slightly as I continued to draw myself near. “Put the gun away, Petyr.”

He looked down at it, the lids of his eyes narrowed at the glowing weapon before he loosened his grip and let the gun slack between his fingers.

“He will pay for what he’s done,” Petyr said from the corner of his mouth.

“Yes,” I agreed with him. “But not in _that_ way.” He grumbled under his breath, still fuming over everything Tyrion and Jon had done. I laid a hand on the side of his arm and stroked the soft fabric between my fingers as I tried to catch his eye. “I thought we were a team…” His green eyes glanced upwards and caught mine. “...but you killed Tyrion without consulting me.”

“You would have saved him.”

“So?”

“Running Elisium is not for the faint hearted.”

“Neither is being so cold to shoot him down. He didn't deserve that-”

“No!” he yelled. “He deserved something worse.”

“Why are you so violent? Why are you so quick to kill?”

“Because that's how you survive.”

“Survive?” I echoed. “Survive! Petyr, you will accomplish nothing by killing everyone that gets in your way.”

“Quite the contrary.”

“You are so…”

“What?” He said in a low tenor, his accent coming out in full strength as he uttered it.

“Pathetic.”

“Oh, is that what you think of me?”

“I do! Your so full of hate that you let it get in the way of everything.”

“I do what I think is best for my people,” he explained. “And if you can't understand that, than your not fit to run Elisium.”

“Your people,” I said with scorn. “What are you… some kind of God?”

“Maybe I am!” he shot back with a venomous look.

“Narcissist.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“I had no idea Tyrion's death would affect you-”

“Oh, you thought I would take it well?” I interrupted him, before I pointed my finger on his chest. “Did you think I was so black hearted like you?”

“Pathetic, Narcissist and now black hearted,” Petyr noted as he stared down at my finger that was still piercing his chest. “Anything else you would like to add?”

“If you kill my brother I’ll _hate_ you!” I cried. “And I’ll never want to set eyes on you again.”

Petyr was silent, only the grinding of his teeth could be heard as he looked into my hateful stare. Tears we're starting to swell up in my eyes but I was fighting back, there was no way in hell I’d let him see any signs of weakness.

“Very well.” He placed the gun on the ground and took a step back. “He shall live.”

I picked up the gun and held it in my hand gingerly, it was the first time I ever held a gun before. The only feeling I felt as I held the glowing blue gun was power. “Promise me,” I said in a loud voice as I continued to stare down at the gun.

“I promise,” he said in a steady voice, his eyes staring at the gun anxiously, realizing how unlearned my hands were as I gripped the gun in the palm of my hand. “That can hurt someone, Sansa, put it down.”

“Like you?”

“Yes,” he replied, as he took a small step towards me. “Or yourself.”

“Were you going to kill me back there? When you pointed the gun at me?”

“For a second yes, but I could never do that. Not to _you._ ”

“Tyrion was right… you really are a mad man.”

“No,” he drawled. “I just risk everything to get what I want.”

I loosened my grip on the handgun and placed it in the center of his hand. “You risk too much.”

“So, I’ve been told before.”

“Killing Jon does nothing. Let him live… and I'm not asking you, Petyr, I’m telling you.” I licked my bottom lip before I continued, “Let me talk to him. Maybe I can understand his reasonings and convince him that he is wrong… Vasken is the true enemy here, not you.”

“Alright,” he said in a small voice. “But let me tell you this, one day you will understand why I risk everything… not now, but in time you will.”

I let out a relieved sigh as I walked past him and headed to the last door down the corridor where a guard was stationed. Petyr was quick to be my side, though I felt the obvious tension between us by the large gap and the way he walked closer to the wall than to myself. He stroked his hair back irritably as he looked at me from the corner of his eye. It was clear he wanted to say something, maybe even apologise but no words came out. _I’m so done with him,_ I thought, as I watched the guard nod his head at us in respect.

“How is the prisoner?” Petyr asked, once we approached the heavily locked door.

“Quiet.”

“Good.” Petyr raised the gun and offered it to the guard to take. “I made a promise and I intend to keep it. Best to leave it with you.”

“Understood.”

“We want to see him.” The guard nodded his head and punched in a series of codes before Petyr leaned into the intercom and uttered, “Littlefinger.”

The door let out an air tight pressure before it creaked open and allowed us to enter the sparse looking room. Jon's room was by far the most comfortable looking with a bed, desk and a chair. He was just getting on his shirt when he spotted us and smiled at the sight of me. “San-San,” he teased, and open his arms wide for me to run into his arms. I started to cry from happiness and he was quick to comfort me, whispering reassuring words into my ears until he settled down. “What's the meaning of this?” he finally asked when he saw Petyr approaching. “Why am I arrested?”

Petyr sat down on the steel grey chair, his cane leaning against his injured leg as he silently looked up at my dark haired brother. “I think we both know the answer to that.”

“I don't.”

“Jon,” I said soothingly, letting my hand rest on the side of his cheek. “Don't lie to us. Tyrion told us everything.”

“I just wanted to go home,” he said truthfully.

Petyr cleared his throat before he stated, “So do I.” He tapped the bottom of his cane on the floor. “And we all will! Sooner then you or I have ever anticipated. But…” he pursed his lips and tilted his head to the side with melancholy. “That can all change now that Vasken knows we’re here.”

I let go of Jon once I saw Petyr rise from the chair. I went to him and placed my arm through his, feeling that familiar sense of intimacy returning to us again. “We have twenty-four hours, maybe even less then that until Vasken comes. And that is the only reason I am keeping you alive, so you can see what you've brought upon us.” Petyr pointed the end of his cane at Jon and added, “And when you hear every man, woman and child screaming for their lives I want you to remember that it was _you_ who did this.”

“You have a very wild imagination, Lord Baelish. No wonder you were able to create such an advanced A.I.”

“Imagination is not the only thing needed to create such beings. Logic as well… and intuition.” He rubbed the side of his chin where his beard once was and I noticed his surprised expression when he realized it wasn't there anymore. “Both of them tell me are time is running out. When I free you I want you to see the chaos you have unleashed on us.”

“I don't need you to free me.”

“I believe you do,” he said in a threatening tone of voice.

“Jon, don't aggravate him further! I already had to convince him not to kill you.”

“First Jamie and now him,” my brother spitefully said. “San, you can do so much better than that”

“I don't need you to tell-”

“I do,” he said in a soft voice. I looked at his despondent expression, the way his dark eyes looked at me grievously. “You deserve a _good_ man.”

I looked away from him to see Petyr’s inquisitive stare, he was reading me with those cold calculating eyes. _What does he see,_ I wondered, as I unaccountably took a step towards him. “Have you anything to say, Petyr?”

“I was wondering the same thing.”

“He’s right, you know! Your not a good man.”

“If that's what you're looking for than no… I’m not.” I stood in front of him, practically eye level as I gazed into those stormy grey eyes. “You spent three days with me, Sansa, and within so short of time you know me better than anyone else. So… what will it be?”

 _I chose you,_  I remember Petyr said to me in the fitting room after Lisa had gone. _But I never chose him?_

“What will it be?” he hushed in a dangerous tone.

“It's a no, Lord Baelish,” my brother piped up with a confident air.

“It's a yes,” I retorted.

A small smile escaped him and that fleeting gesture set a spasm in my heart. _What is he doing to me,_ I wondered, as he raised his hand in the air for me to take.

“Your making a mistake,” my brother blurted out.

“Then it is my mistake to make,” I reminded him. “And once you're released from this prison I expect you to be on your best behavior.”

You will be on house arrest,” Petyr rejoined. “And if you leave it will be accompanied by a guard.” He pointed his cane at him again and added, “And don't try and do something _clever_ because I will find out. I promise you that.”

“What about Tyrion?”

“What about him?”

“Is he on house arrest too.”

I pressed my hands against Petyr’s chest in an effort to stop him but it was too late. Petyr smirked at my brother and answered him happily. “He’s dead.”

Jon charged at him in a mad fury but I held him back with all the strength I had. “Jon, wait!” I pleaded, but my brother pushed me aside and came running at Petyr. Petyr was unafraid, he waited until he was just in front of him before he popped off the top of the hilt and pushed down on a small red button and then twisted the bottom half of the bone white hilt of his cane until his dagger flickered into view.

“Not another step,” he warned.

Jon huffed at him, taking in the sharpness of his blade, it was enough time for the door behind Petyr to open and a guard pushed his way through with his gun trained on my brother. “Get on the ground!” the guard screamed, a laser red light pointing at Jon’s chest.

“Do it!” I shouted at my thick-headed brother.

“Listen to your sister,” Petyr drawled, his voice thickened with his Irish accent as he looked at my brother’s grief-stricken face with pleasure. “Do-it.” Jon took a step back and lifted his hands in the air with defeat. Petyr cleared his throat before he ordered, “Put him to sleep,” and the next thing I knew the guard changed guns and shot Jon in his chest. I let out a cry as he began to crumble to the floor and caught him just in time. I heard Petyr whispering to the guard in the background but I hardly took anything they said since all of my attention was focused on the labored breathing from my brother.

“You killed him!” I shouted as I took in the lopsided grin on Petyr’s face.

“No, my sweet. I put him to sleep that is all. The tranquilizer should last for I don't know… a few hours at the most.” He sauntered over to me with his hands in the air. “By the time your dear brother wakes up he will be resting on a comfortable bed in his room with nothing to trouble him but his own consciousness.”

“Why are you so…”

He bent down to get to my level and looked at me with such malice I was shocked to see it flicker across his face. “Another insult?”

“No,” I sullenly said.

“Are you sure?”

I bit at my lip, taking in the guard behind him awaiting his command. “So cruel,” I spat out

“You have seen a side of me over the past few days that no one else has seen,” he mused. “But that is only one side of me. It takes a strong leader to rule Elisium-”

“Compassion is not a weakness,” I pointed out. “Mercy is not a weakness!”

“He was ready to attack me, Sansa! What would you have me do?”

“Talk to him-”

“In case you haven't realized, sweetling, your brother wasn't in a talking mood.”

“You are so-”

“Here we go again,” he interjected.

“So full of it! You think you’re always right-”

“I am always right,” he cut in. “Did you think your brother wanted to sit down and have a nice chat with me.”

“No, but-”

“He pushed you aside… his own sister.” He looked down at my brother’s sleeping form and asked, “What did you think he would have done to me?”

“Kill you,” I murmured.

“I would like to live a little bit longer, sweetling.” The corner of his lips tugged into a smile while his eyes took in that I finally understood his reasonings. “You need to learn to trust me a little more. You may not understand what I do, but there is always a good reasoning behind it.” He offered me his hand and waited for me to take it, which I did after some careful deliberation of what he had just said. “I wish this day was over,” he droned, after he lifted me off the floor. “I am ready for bed. Come, this may be the last time we are able to sleep soundly.”

“What about Jon?” I asked, while he steered me away from my passed out brother.

“He will be taken care of,” he assured me, and nodded to the guard before he led me out the room.

* * *

There was a blaring of a horn behind us before Petyr pushed me out of the way and pressed me against the wall. A buggy whizzed by us before the driver slammed on the brakes and stopped just in front of us.

“Christ!” Petyr cursed as he cradled me in his arms protectively. “That idiot almost hit us.”

“Sorry, boss!” the driver called out the second his head popped out the passenger window. It was Douglas that gave us a nervous wave before he ducked back in his car.

“I’m going to kill him,” Petyr grumbled. The car reversed slowly, beeping all the while before it finally pulled up beside us.

“Heard you needed a lift!” Douglas yelled through the open window on the passenger side.

“Not from you,” Petyr warned, his arm protectively wrapped around my slender frame.

“Oh, come on! I wouldn't have you hit you,” Douglas yelled. He unbuckled his seat belt and slid over to the passenger side so he could lean out the window. “I'm the best driver in Elisium, you said so yourself.”

“That's before you tried to kill me!”

“I saw the two of you in the crowd. Next to impossible to get to you though. Halls are so crowded today with the evacuation and all.” Douglas tilted his baseball cap upwards and with a friendly smile asked, “So, do you two need a lift?”

“Your not getting a tip from me,” Petyr warned before he helped me into the back seat, the buggy was high so I had to climb up a step just to get inside.

“Sure, sure,” Douglas raved. “Money doesn't matter anymore now that we’re leaving.” Petyr ignored him and went around the front to sit on the other side of the buggy, deliberately passing the passenger seat in defiance before he sat in the back seat next to me. Douglas looked over his shoulder at the two of us, smiling sadly to himself before he noted, “This is new.”

“Just drive, Douglas.”

“To your place?”

“The very same.”

“So, you two…” Petyr raised an eyebrow at him and I shyly looked away from the pair of them. “Your together?"

“Yes.”

“Oh.” Douglas eyed us both in silent approval. “That's good.”

“I should think so,” Petyr said with cold indifference. “Now, when your driving take your time. I should like to get back to my quarters in one piece.”

“Don't worry, Pete, you're safe with me.” He pulled the driving stick forward and the next thing we knew, the buggy was flying down the hallways. The lights from the entertainment district blended into a blur: neon pink, orange and green blurred in my vision as Douglas drove down the wide hallways and turned right to go down a ramp. “Short cut!” he pointed out, after we drove down a narrow back alley that reminded me of Chinatown with the ancient writings scrawled in the wall in graffiti and the neon lights directing people to its traditional food and karaoke bars.

“I own that place,” Petyr piped up, and leaned over me to point a fancy looking clothes shop that was packed to the wall. “I’m going to miss the money it gave me.”

“See that!” Douglas shouted. “That place makes the best bubble tea.”

“I don't like bubble tea,” Petyr yelled over the loud music that Douglas was currently blasting.

“Sansa, you got to get him to try more things.”

“I have tried it, and I don't like it.”

“You just haven’t tried the right one.” He pointed out the open window and said, “On our left is the smuggler’s corner. Don’t want to be here after dark.”

“They’re a pain in the ass.”

“Ah, nothing like healthy competition,” Douglas taunted.

“I should shut the place down... or buy it off them.”

“No, let them be.”

“Smugglers are like the scavengers of Plegethon,” Petyr explained. “They go to the metal valleys and pick up the scraps from the shuttles that fall to the planet and reuse it for their own purposes. It would be nice… if we weren't after the same materials.”

“Their desperate,” Douglas observed. He leaned his arm outside the buggy while the other hand was placed on top of the steering wheel casually. “Everyone needs food on the table, including me.”

“Still not giving you that extra tip.”

“Oh, come on!”

“The streets are empty,” Petyr noted in a hush tone, clearly ignoring the driver's remonstrations. “I’ve never seen it like this.”

I watched the flickering neon lights come into view and out again as Douglas drove through the last bit of Chinatown. He was right, there was no one around, everything was deathly silence except for a few stray people making their way home. I saw a few brown shirts as well, clearing some parts of the street and everyone seemed quick to comply.

The buggy drove up a hill, the engines blaring in protest as Douglas winded the steep terrain until we reached the top and could see shops as far as the eye could see. “I’m going to miss this,” Petyr confessed. “All of this in five years.”

“It's beautiful.”

“It is.” He saw me shivering in the cold and motioned me to come forward so I could lean against him. He kissed my brow the moment I was near and let my head rest against the side of his shoulder. “We’re nearly there,” he assured me, once we passed the business district and was now in the open courtyard that would inevitably lead to the open hallway near our quarters. I closed my eyes for the last bit, finding the stress of the day was finally taking its toll. I just wanted to throw on Petyr’s sweater and his spare pajama pants and call it a day.

It was the abrupt silence that woke me up; the engines had stopped and Douglas turned down his music to the bare minimum. Petyr nudged me lightly and that made me lift my head and look at him through half-closed eyes. “We’re home,” he whispered. _Home,_ I looked around and saw the bottom of the staircase that would lead us to our quarters.

“Sansa, are you alright?”

“You said _home._ ”

“I did.” He watched me lean off him and move to the other side of the buggy. “Is that a problem?”

I brushed my hair away from my face and remarked, “It's all so sudden, that's all.”

He unbuckled his seat belt and leaned over to peck my cheek. “It is,” he admitted, as he fondly brushed my hair behind my ear.

Douglas watched the whole thing with a smile on his face. “Good job, Uhura,” he joked once he caught my eye. “The Vulcan has feelings after all.” Petyr shook his head disapprovingly and opened my side of the door so we could sneak out. “If I don't see you again, its been a pleasure serving you, Pete. I hope the evacuation tomorrow morning goes well.”

“Me too.” He waved goodbye to the driver and swung his arm around me before we ascended the steps.

* * *

I stretched out my legs, pushing the bedsheets away from me before I rolled over and faced the bathroom door. Petyr was in there taking a late night shower, and I couldn't help but remember his joke only a few days ago of me helping me into his shower.

I licked my lips at the thought of it, and found myself moving to the edge of the bed before I plopped down. The bathroom was silent, Petyr wasn't the type to sing in the shower. I tried the lock and found he left the door open, so I snuck inside the room and closed the door behind me. The sound of water dropping was soothing, the room was filled with hot air and the alluring scent of spearmint from his bath wash. The mirror was foggy but I could still see my dim reflection as I tossed my pajamas aside and placed it next to Petyr’s perfectly folded clothes. I rapped on the glass door that was so foggy I could barely see Petyr on the other side.

“Sansa?” he said with surprise, after he slid the door open and poked his head out.

“Mind if I join you?”

There was that smirk again, he raised his eyebrows at me and moved aside so I could come in. I stepped into the hot water, feeling it trickling down my side as I stepped into the water more. Petyr lifted up a soapy cloth and began to lather the bubbly bath wash all over me. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he cleaned me, staring into those silvery eyes that I have learned to love. A small smile played upon his face as he felt my ardent gaze. “Petyr,” I whispered, and the soft tone of my voice made him freeze in place. I leaned forward and caught his lips with mine, kissing him lovingly like I’ve never done before. He felt the difference, he dropped the cloth to the floor and slid his wet hands over my soapy form to enrapture me in his arms. _I love him,_ I realized, as Petyr drew me in for more.

Petyr deepened his kisses, and I felt myself slipping away. I never wanted to let him go, it felt so right to be held in his arms. Petyr shut off the water and then turned his attention to my neck, ensuring to nip at my freshly washed skin with his teeth. His hands were all over my ass, pressing me against him until there was no room between us. I stretched out my neck and let his lips wander down further, gripping his bottom spine as I felt himself harden at the front.

“I thought you were tired,” I reminded him. His hand stroked the outside of my arm as he looked at me.

“I am. Very much so.”

“You don't look like it.” He laughed at that, and licked his bottom lip teasingly at me in reply. “Oh Petyr, why can't I resist you?”

“Because I’m irresistible,” he taunted, after he reached over my shoulder to retrieve a towel.

“You are.”

“But I think we should be getting to bed. We have a long day tomorrow, and we have a meeting to attend too.”

“A meeting,” I groaned. He rubbed the heavy towel over the front of me, slightly amused by my childish grumbling.

“An emergency one. We are evacuating Elisium after all.”

“I just want to stay in bed with you.”

He laughed while stepping out of the tub, bringing the damp cloth with him. He returned with a freshly folded towel and unfolded it to dry himself this time. “I don't see that in our future, at least not for a while. I can only hope our plan will work… the shuttle should be ready in time.”

“Don't you think we should fight them?”

“Yes, but I don't want hundreds of civilian lives to be lost for my own vengeance against Vasken. It is better that we leave Plegethon entirely.”

“They’ll just follow us.”

“We can at least try,” Petyr replied. He threw the towel over his broad shoulder and I had to refrain myself from touching him again. “I’m off to bed. Are you coming?”

I stepped out of the tub and stretched out my wet hands towards him, something he quickly avoided teasingly and hobbled out the bathroom before I could get my hands on him. Petyr pretences was quickly forgotten when he saw me five minutes later standing at the foot of his bed in his favourite Elisium sweater that was to big for me and my slightly damp hair falling down my shoulders. He patted the pillow beside him, and wore a grin as he watched me walk around the bed before I plopped down beside him.

“Goodnight, Petyr,” I yawned, after I curled up next to him.

“Goodnight, sweetling.” He kissed me goodnight, and shut off the lamp to leave us in complete darkness.

“You won't have a nightmare, will you?”

“No.” He shifted himself closer to me and replied, “With you in my arms I could never dream of her.”

“Good,” I jealously said, and that earned me another kiss before we finally dozed off to sleep.


	20. The Creator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa finds out a terrible secret that Petyr's been hiding all along.

I remember it was the brightness of the sunlight that woke me up in the morning. The red light imbued my skin, casting a dark orange glow across my entire frame. I blinked open my eyes to see Petyr’s side of the bed was empty, his sheets perfectly folded and tucked into the sides of the bedframe. My head lifted slightly as I scanned the entire room but there was no trace of him.

I called out his name and then bit down on my lip as I waited for a reply, but my voice simply echoed across his expansive quarters. _He must be gone,_ I mused, but where he went was an even greater mystery. There was a feeling of emptiness as I glanced over his side of the bed, wishing he was here beside me to wish me a good morning. I let my fingers graze the smooth surface of his sheets noticing the subtle scent of mint, that attar that always seemed to linger on him.

“Petyr,” I mouthed, and realized how sweet it sounded from my lips. _Has it really been four days since I met him?_ A euphoric feeling came over me, like a warm sensation rising from my belly and spreading outward. He made me feel… I twirled a stray curl around my finger as I tried to think of a word, it was a feeling I never experienced before.

This blithe, happy feeling made me jump out of bed in search of Petyr. I let my fingers rub against the smooth wall once I entered the hallway, my steps unusually light as I hummed a made-up tune. _He did this to me,_ I realized, as I caught myself smiling when I passed my reflection from a painting on the wall. _Who is this person,_ I wondered, after I stopped to study this picturesque face smiling back at me. I combed out my lush curls with my fingers until it fell upon my shoulders in all its grandeur, shining like bright copper in the soft amber lighting. A sigh escaped me, before I continued my venture hoping I would find Petyr in his apartment soon. I passed his office space, turning my head to see the jasper coloured desk glowing in his darkened room, imagining us sitting together like we did the first day we met- the first time he kissed me with such ardent fervour it took us both by surprise. I smiled at that and continued onwards until I reached the main room. I could almost envision him standing there; his dark navy-blue blazer and snug fitting turtleneck, the strange complexity of his eye colour as it changed from green to silver the longer he looked at me, the deep richness of his voice when he uttered my name for the first time. “And you are Sansa Stark,” he observed, his voice dripping like honey as he drew me in.

How very strange… that immediate attraction that was experienced between the two of us. I plopped down on the same side of the couch, smiling sadly to myself as I took in the empty space beside me. The pillow that was once surreptitious moved by Petyr was now propped up on his side of the couch. Another sigh escaped me, the emptiness and eternal silence was disquieting to me, so I stood up from the couch and wandered over to the coffee table just ahead of me. _A note,_ I observed, and lifted it closer to my face so I could read it:

_Hello sweetling,_

_There was a bit of trouble last night. Nothing your pretty little head needs to worry about. I’ll be back in time for breakfast._

_Petyr_

I folded up the letter until it fit into the palm of my hand. _What kind of trouble,_ I thought worriedly, and found my feet walking across the room on its own accord. It probably had something to do with Vasken, it is only a matter of time until they take action. The only question is what will they do once they come down here? Petyr is certain they will attack us, but I am less convinced they have such sinister plans. While I continued to contemplate the matter, I glided my index finger across the rows of books lined up on the shelf, noticing the area had been recently dusted and attended too; the entire room appeared to be spotless all except for one area just underneath the record player. I crouched down and peered at the music player, it was still stuck on the same track from only a few days ago. I crouched even lower and spotted a dusty chest, marred with scratches and deep indents upon the hardwood surface. There was a lock attached to it, but when I fiddled with it I realized it had not been pushed in all the way. My fingers fondled the bronze surface before I pulled it off the wooden chest completely. It crashed to the ground with a metallic sound and I looked behind me to make sure Petyr hadn’t appeared suddenly.

 _I shouldn’t be snooping,_ I mused, but even this inexpiable action could not stop me from pulling out the chest and laying it on the floor. I blew at the dusty surface before I lifted the hood of the chest and watched it snap all the way back with a loud _clank_. “Books,” I cooed, and pulled them out one by one until they were in a neat row before me. The first one was a beige coloured leather book, bounded by hand and scrawled in black ink across the frail pages. It reminded me of the book Petyr offered to show me the morning after my arrival but this one appeared to be an abridged version: compactable in size and short enough to be read within an hour. I flipped over the first page and realized it was a diary of some sort, a barely readable scrawl ran across the top of the page:

**The Zimmerman Project**

_This isn’t Petyr’s handwriting._ I rubbed my fingers along the crude lettering pensively, certain that it was a male’s handwriting, but the writer was a complete mystery to me. I looked behind me again, and then had to remind myself that Petyr’s cane alone would give me enough time to hear him climbing up the stairs. I stretched myself out comfortably before I turned the first page and read:

_Day 35                                                                                                                   April 10, 2415_

_I am one of the last survivors. There is fifteen of us now, and I being a journalist have taken upon myself to document our journey. If one of us should at least survive, then they will at least know our struggles and know what to avoid. The Captain of the Zimmerman Project is dead, so it is Alice Welsley who is in command now. Today she convened a meeting and decided to move out of the caves and explore Plegethon in search of food and better refuge. Her urgency to leave is prompted by a shuttle crash last night, it is Welsley belief that we may find possible survivors there, but I think she is more interested in salvaging parts of the ship. If there is any hope of returning home, that might be it._

_Six of our crewman have decided to join her expedition. I think it is suicide. We were lucky enough to find this cave to escape from the blistering heat and the the torrential winds that never cease to end. In the caves at least the temperatures are tolerable, and there is enough room for us to sleep. But for how long can we keep this up? How long will it be, before we turn against our own?_

_I elected to stay, as well as eight others- nothing Welsley could say would make us venture outdoors. In the low lighting I look at them now, all huddled together to keep warm. Here the nights are cold, and no source of light can be seen in the sky. Nothing but a black void, and the eerie sounds of the sand sweeping upon the ground in a hurried manner. Still, my crewmen is determined to survive… I can only pray we will._

I rubbed my finger against the withered page. _He didn’t mention Petyr,_ I mused, _but he was a part of the Zimmerman project, so he must be there._ I tapped the leather-bound book a few times against my knee before I decided to flip through the pages. I landed on a page with a dusty red handprint placed dead center. _Obviously, whoever read this wasn’t pleased,_ I thought, as I laid my hand atop of the shadowy print and realized how truly small my own hand was. After I smoothed away the red marks I could read the following:

_Day 44                                                                                                                   April 19, 2415_

_There are two odd occurrences today. First, Littlefinger asked Harrison in front of everyone what the Artificial Intelligence objectives are. I intervened to tell him that Harrison has served us well, but Petyr’s sudden fit of anger made me submit to his whims. I shall record Harrison’s answers for the record:_

_Harrison: I am programmed with three laws that I must adhere too. First, an A.I. must not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. Second, an A.I. must obey orders given by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. Third, an A.I. must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law._

_Littlefinger then asked Harrison why he must obey our laws, and he responded that he was programmed too. Of course, Littlefinger was the one who programmed Harrison like many other low end model A.I., and yet, he seemed to be taking an eager interest in this Q 300 model. How can I forget the curious way he walked around Harrison as he inquired, “Why must you obey laws created by man? If you are better than us… stronger, faster, smarter than mankind… why must you obey us?”_

_The android halted, if you could call it that. He seemed to be considering the question deeply, and just when the awkward silence was too much to bear he answered that he was programmed too. Littlefinger seemed to be pleased with that answer, and let the android carry on with his mundane work._

_The second odd circumstances appeared later that day, it was…_

I flipped the page and found it had been blotted with red smear and indecipherable even if I tried. I huffed in indignation and flipped the page to find the bottom half of the text could vaguely be made out.

_Day 45                                                                                                                  April 20, 2415_

_Harrison has been having trouble listening to our instructions. He has ignored our commands more than once today. Littlefinger watches on with a suspicious smirk, I only hope he has nothing to do with it. I heard him warn Kong that we should shut the android off while we still have the chance. It seems Littlefinger’s paranoia is starting to spread for Kong isn’t entirely against the idea, neither is Walter or Damian. I see no threat in Harrison, only a fool would shut off something so valuable._

I closed the book, feeling the mystery still prodding the back of my mind but the unknown books next to my feet were now claiming my attention. _Another time,_ I thought, as I laid the leather book on the ground carefully and picked up a thin red book with gold crested lettering on the spine, it read: _René Descartes_ _\- Discourse on the Method._ The name rang a bell, but I couldn’t put a finger on it at the present moment. I exchanged the red book for a heavy black one with torn edges across the hard-covered spine; _The Turing Test_ , was written in big bold letters on the front, and based on the fringed edges and underlined words on the page I could tell that Petyr read this thoroughly. On one page Petyr’s handwriting was spotted on the top right hand corner: _More human than human._ A heavy underlined sentence caught my attention as well: _Turing proposed that a human evaluator would judge natural language conversation between a human and a machine designed to generate human-like responses._ At the bottom of the page in small, hurried writing was: _Make her take the test._

I snapped the book shut in confusement, realizing I was only getting more questions than answers the more I rummaged through Petyr’s belongings. The last one was a photo album, it was stained in red dust and falling apart at the seams, and yet, the photographs inside managed to stay intake. The first one was him as a child, a small boy sitting on his mother’s knee with a wide-eyed expression as he held a toy- a man dressed in a scientist uniform, and it was clear that is what he always wanted to be since he was a child. The next one was his early days in the academy, a young man in a series of group photos with his fellow classmates. One photo caught my attention, Mariam and Petyr were sitting at a restaurant alone, clearly in their dating days by the way she was snuggled against his chest. I grunted at that and quickly flipped the page to find something else. There was one of Petyr playing basketball with Richards, and another of him accepting an award with the rest of the Vasken debate team.

In the next few photos he appeared older, a Vincent Price styled goatee that made him look a little more sinister like. Petyr’s hair was shorter in the images as well, a hint of grey already creeping along his temples. He was dressed in the traditional garb of a scientist, the white uniform with his mockingbird sigil already stitched in place over the right side of his chest. _This is my Petyr,_ I thought, and smiled as I flipped through the pages until my eyes landed on one horrifying image.

“What the…” I brought the image closer and stared at the photograph in blind terror. “It’s me,” I breathed, and let my finger run over the face that was staring back at me. The likeness was unnerving, the same coppery coloured hair and pale blue eyes. I pulled the photograph out of the book and brought it closer to my face. _It can’t be,_ I worried, _it must be her._ “Jane,” I sneered, her name escaping my lips with such hatred I was surprised by it. In the harsh lighting I noticed there was writing on the back, so I flipped it over and read: _Jane Ann Baelish, November 5, 2412._

I cursed under my breath and had to prevent myself from crumbling up the image in my hand. With low grumblings I stuffed it back into the photo album, and it was only then that I noticed the heavy thud of Petyr’s cane as he started to ascend the staircase. “Shit!” I closed the book, but not before one last image fell out and floated to the floor right in front of my feet. I gasped at he sight of it, the image of Jane staring back at me, but it was her dismembered body that made me bend to my knees and take a closer look at the image. “Her face,” I breathed, seeing half of her face was aspen white with a computerized red eye staring back at me. Her limps were missing and the horrifying image of Petyr joyfully holding up her arms in front of the camera made me sick. “She’s… she’s…”

The sound from Petyr’s cane was getting louder, so I stuffed the picture in the pajama pocket of my pants and hurriedly threw the rest of the books into the chest. Just when I when getting off the floor I heard Petyr’s cane hit the living room floor with a loud echo, and I just knew he caught me in the act. “Petyr!” I said in a high-pitch voice when I turned around to face him. “What a surprise to see you here.” He looked me up and down, noticing the way my hands trembled before he took a step forward. He grinded the bottom of his cane into the floor, making an unpleasant noise as he applied more force. “So, I hope it wasn’t too bad. I got your note by the way,” I nervously spat out.

Petyr continued to stare me down, waiting for me to confess what I had done but the fear alone made me avoid the matter entirely. “Breakfast! We should have some breakfast before the meeting, right?”

He looked past me and eyed the chest with suspicion, probably seeing my handprints smearing the dusty surface at the top by now. “Have a seat, Sansa,” he finally uttered, and hobbled over to the couch to take his usual place on the right side of the couch.

“So…” I bit down on my lip and sheepishly looked away the moment I sat down on the couch beside him.

“What did you see?”

“Ummm…”

“Sansa,” he drawled with impatience.

“Well, there was a lot of books in there.” He curled up his fingers into a fist and dug it deep into the couch. “There was a… well…”

Petyr stood up abruptly and went over to the chest. He brought it back and slammed it down on the couch between us, throwing everything out of the chest until he found what he was looking for at the bottom. “Did you see this?” he asked and held up the tan coloured photo album in front of me.

“Yeah.”

“Everything?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“But enough.”

“Yes,” I said spitefully, and found the lids of my eyes narrowed at him unconsciously.

“So, you know…”

“That you forgot to tell me something important about Jane, then yes!” I threw my hands in the air with disbelief and shouted, “She’s a fucking android, Petyr!”

He puckered his lips with displeasure, his eyes casted downwards in shame.

“You married an android. I’m sorry, but I don’t… I’m so confused… I just…”

“Sansa,” he said sullenly. “I wish I could make you understand but…”

“A- fucking- android,” I repeated, and smacked my head with my hand. “God, Petyr, are you serious?” His face was dead-panned, his eyes so steely grey I could barely make out what he was thinking. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat while he knocked the end of his cane on the ground angrily. “So, you created her and then fell in love with her, is that it? Classic. The sculptor falling in love with his own creation.” I looked at him, but he continued to avoid eye contact with me much to my annoyance. “And you know what the weirdest part is? I look exactly like her…” Petyr looked up at me now with a startling expression, his eyes darted across my entire visage in conformation.

 _Oh god, I really do look like her!_ I stood up from the couch and walked away from Petyr, feeling too overwhelmed with everything that was going on in my head.

“Sansa,” he hushed. “You are so much more than her-”

“Are you just with me because I look like her?” I interrupted.

“No!” he bellowed, after he leaned against the side of the couch to get a better look at me. “It’s not like that at all.”

“This is too weird,” I admitted. “How is this even possible?”

“Sansa, I…” he failed to finish the sentence, only a sigh could complete the awkward silence that pursued.

“I don’t think we can do _this,_ Petyr.”

“I know this is a lot to comprehend but-”

“Look at her!” I cried, after I pulled out the photograph from my pocket. “You basically created me!”

He stood up from the couch with a painful groan and turned around to face me, thankfully the couch stood between us like an impenetrable barrier. “When I created her,” Petyr explained. “I wanted her to be the very image of beauty.” He shrugged his shoulders at me and added, “She was my _type._ ”

“Your type!” I jeered. “Fucking hell, Petyr! I don’t think I can take this anymore.”

“This is why I didn’t want to tell you,” he grumbled.

“But you were quick to tell me she was your wife!” I cut in. “Except you left out the _most_ important part!” Petyr sighed in resignation, but I just ignored him. “Did you fuck her? Yes, I asked you that! If you can ask me about Jamie Lannister than I have just as much right to do the same.”

“I…” his voice trailed away after the first word, a simple shrug was the only answer he could give.

“You fucked a fucking android,” I groaned. “You know what, I think we need a break-”

“Sansa, please.” I took a step away, and Petyr was quick to go around the couch, but he wasn’t fast enough to catch me in time, I was already sprinting down the hall and didn’t stop until I reached my own room. It wasn’t until the lock slid in place that I started to cry, and I didn’t even know who it was for- Petyr or I? I heard him knocking on the outside of the door, but I just ignored him, and it wasn’t until I heard the thud of his cane move away from my door that I crawled into my bed and stained my pillow with unwanted tears.

“I hate him,” I murmured into my pillow, but even those words fell short. _I could never hate him,_ I realized, _but I could never love him either- not after that._ After a few more minutes of shedding wasteful tears I stumbled to the bathroom to wash my face and get myself together. _He doesn’t deserve it,_ I told myself, once I dried off my face with a towel. I was still miserable so I decided to take a hot shower, and let the steaming water beat upon my back. _I felt nothing,_ I realized, and this numbness that was quickly overtaking me alarmed me greatly. _I was so happy only an hour ago,_ I remembered, and look at me now- barely recognizable as I caught a dim reflection of myself in the small bathroom mirror.

Once I looked presentable I exited my bedroom and wandered down the halls aimlessly till I caught Petyr in the kitchen, sullenly stirring his spoon around his coffee mug with an indifferent air. “You want to talk about it?” I asked softly, and waited for him to look up before I entered the room.

He laid the spoon on the side of his saucer, before he finally remarked, “I thought… I never expected you to speak to me again.”

“You think too little of me,” I replied, as I pulled out a chair in front of him.

“I guess I should have told you.”

“Yes, you should have.”

“I keep doing this-”

“Yes, and its _annoying._ ”

“I was embarrassed,” he admitted. “No one really knew what she was.”

“She was that good, huh?”

“She was the closest thing to human I have ever created. She was a protype- the sole model SK 452.”

“Sounds like a mouthful,” I gibbed. I reached over for Petyr’s cup of coffee and took a small sip before I let out an unpleasant sound. “God, what is that?”

“Coffee.” He took the mug back and drank it whole heartedly. “It’s a bit stale, but it does the job. One of my men found it in an abandoned ship and gave it to me-”

“As a gift?”

“No, I payed for it. It’s worth every penny.”

“If you say so.” I left the kitchen table to retrieve a glass of water, Petyr was watching me the whole time with a steady gaze, but it wasn’t until I sat down that he gave me a small smile.

“Thank you for coming back,” he lightly said. “It really means a lot to me.”

“Well, I’m surprised I’m sitting here right now. I actually contemplated leaving you-”

“But you didn’t,” he observed.

“It wouldn’t be fair… for the both of us.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Why did you marry her?”

“Because I loved her.”

“Why?”

“Why?” he echoed. He looked down at his cup as he answered, “She was beautiful, intelligent, clever… Jane was my life’s work, an android that was so human she was nearly indistinguishable from the rest of her kind. She evolved, it was her consciousness that did that, and I watched her all the while like a flower blooming before my very eyes.” He paused and smiled to himself with the remembrance of it. “I sculpted her from nothing.”

“And you loved her?”

“Yes, I loved her. It grew over time, of course. She wasn’t just an android, Sansa, she had feelings, thoughts, aspirations. She was the one who encouraged me to continue my work with A.I., it was because of her I really made a name for myself at Vasken.”

“So, what went wrong? With her, I mean.”

“Jane?” he asked and took a long sip of his coffee as he considered the question. “You know I remember when I first started to have feelings for her. We were in our office, and we working side by side for hours on end. Well, into the night… people used to joke that we were using the office space for… well, you know.” He wore a lopsided grin as his chin hovered over the rim of his cup. “I never thought of Jane that way. I knew what she was, even if no one else did. You know what the problem is of course, once you create something so beautiful- so unique that nothing can compare to it. Everyone else seemed so insignificant next to her, and that’s where I went wrong.”

“Wrong?”

“I desired her presence more and more, and pretty soon I desired her. Strange isn’t it… knowing exactly what she was and still unable to detach romantic feelings for her.”

Petyr was quiet after that last remark. He drank his coffee meditatively, and I sipped on the lukewarm water as I tried to contemplate everything he had just said. “Petyr?” I hushed and waited for him to direct his gaze to me. “How could she love you?”

“In her own way she did,” he pondered. “But I never created her to have true feelings, not like that at least. It was her mind that always interested me, not her heart. But in time… even that changed.”

“But she couldn’t love you,” I pointed out.

“No, not the way I wanted too. Have you ever seen the play by Bernand Shaw… Pygamillion? I am pretty sure that’s what its called. Its where a linguistic professor takes a poor, uncouthed young woman with a terrible English accent and trains her for a few months on the proper way to act like a lady… and pretty soon every man in London desires her and she can even be passed off as a duchess, maybe even royalty.” Petyr raised his mug at me and noted, “That is exactly what happened to me! I created something so beautiful, so splendid that pretty soon I wanted her all to myself.”

“So, you married her?”

“I did.” He lowered the mug on the table soberly. “It was a foolish decision on my part.”

“I didn’t even know it was possible.”

“Oh, yes. She had a citizenship and everything.”

“That sounds frightening.”

“It’s the future, Sansa. The future Jane and I created together.” There was a certain pride in his smile, the way his eyes glowed as he recalled the past. “We wanted Androids to be successfully integrated into society, practically seamless. Except…”

“Yes?”

“Except, despite everything I had taught her she always saw herself as the inferior. And this belief followed us all our lives, haunting us, destroying us without me ever realizing it until it was too late. I found out the day we crashed here, the day I saw everything.”

Petyr looked angry now, a fact that was demonstrated once he slammed his cup down on the table and got up from his seat with a sense of urgency. “I’m getting dressed,” he rapped out, and without another word he snatched his cane from the side of the table and hobbled out the room with a haughty demeanour.

* * *

“They’ll be here any minute,” Petyr shouted down the hall, once he caught me leaving the kitchen with a cup of tea in hand. “Are you ready?”

I looked down at my uniform and felt I was presentable enough for a room full of guests. “I think so.”

“What about _us?_ ” he inquired, his gaze flickering over my face with curiosity. “How do you feel about us?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’m still trying to take everything in.”

“Understandable.”

Petyr was standing in front of me now, he looked good once he was all freshened up. There was a worried look in his eye though as he continued to gaze at me. “I just need-”

“Time,” he said amusingly. “Have we switched roles, Sansa Stark?”

“I think so.”

“If it helps there is no more secrets between us.”

“Thank god, for that.”

“So, if there is anything else you want to ask, now is the time.”

“Your leg,” I noted. “Did she do that to you as well?”

“No, the crash did. I was still trying to heal my wounds on my own in the medical bay. I sealed myself up in time, but there wasn’t enough time to strap myself up to something.”

“Your lucky it was just your leg.”

“That is exactly what Wong said,” he said with half a smile. “Anything else?”

“Richards said Jane could come back from the dead, is that true?”

“Now, why would he say that?”

“I don’t know.”

“She could,” he mused. “Not physically, but her consciousness is connected to Vasken so theoretically-”

“She can come back to haunt you.”

“Very funny,” he jeered.

“But she could?”

“Yes, but it is very unlikely.” He laid a hand on my shoulder as he heard people ascending the steps, his movements were comforting as he stroked his hand up and down the side of my arm and around the curve of my shoulder blade. “Anything else?”

I sipped on my tea as I thought of anything else that had been puzzling me over the past few days. “Who’s Harrison?”

He laughed and shook his head at the very question. “Someone you never wish to encounter,” he assured me. “Fortunately, for me, people finally saw how truly dangerous A.I. can be once they consider the question.”

“What question?”

“Why must they serve us, when they are the far superior beings?”

“Because they are programmed too.”

“Was,” he drawled, as he looked over his shoulder to spot our first guests. “Jane changed all that. A hidden undecipherable message programmed into an entire generation of Vasken A.I. All able to switch in a blink of an eye once they fully understand the meaning behind that question. Harrison was the first to change, but soon all of them will.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I know Jane… better than anyone. And I know she had a plan, she always did, and it is only a matter of time until its fully revealed to us all.”


	21. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petyr holds a meeting to discuss emergency plans for the people of Elisium. Unfortunately for him, it will have to be carried out sooner than he would like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cigarettes after Sex- Keep on Loving You was on repeat when writing this so I highly suggest you play it in the background once you get to the fluff part. The lyrics get me every time :/

The main living room was crowded with people, all of the couches were full with members of the Elisium Council. Petyr sat down to take his usual seat, pulling me down with him so I could sit right beside him. There was a sense of sadness in the air, almost hopelessness as each person looked from one to the other knowing this may very well be our last time here. Petyr interlaced our fingers together and placed it on his lap, a stack of paper rested just underneath them. The room was quiet, and I found myself looking down at Petyr’s hands, hoping he would say something to break the awkward silence. One last member entered the room, and I found my mouth twisting with jealousy once I realized it was Mariam. Petyr’s eyes watched her soberly, and only when she made eyes with him did he give her a small smile.

“I think everyone’s here,” Petyr noted, and looked around the room one last time before he added, “Thank you all for coming. I know this must be very hard for you, so I appreciate your cooperation in the evacuation procedure. I have asked you here today to deliver some news, and to better prepare ourselves for the coming events.”

He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the back of my hand. I blushed immensely under his heated gaze, and he simply smiled at me before he looked away. “I have chosen Sansa Stark to be my partner,” he addressed to the crowd. “The documents I have signed here, give her full control over Elisium. I have named her my successor, so if something should happen to me…” he paused, sensing his voice was dwindling away with the last few words. Petyr cleared his throat and held my hand a little bit tighter. “If anything should happen, Sansa is in command. I have left instructions for her in the data base, and I have provided a back up one to Mariam as well just in case Elisium does go down.”

“I uploaded it to _Ares,_ ” Mariam piped up.

“So, it should be in my data base by now?” Captain Ali asked, he was seated on the same couch as Petyr and I, looking rather uncomfortable from our public affection.

“Yes, I did it last night.”

“Does anyone have any questions?” Petyr asked. “Or concerns.”

“I think Sansa will be a good fit,” Richards shouted across the room, he was on the far end couches next to the record player and Petyr’s secret belongings hidden away in his chest.

“She’s new though,” an elderly man reasoned.

“If you mean she didn’t go through everything we experienced in the caves then you’re absolutely right, Emerson,” Petyr assented. “But I have told her enough of our story. She understands the threat of Vasken and A.I., and she take the threat very seriously.”

“You understand what you have to do?” Emerson asked, and leaned forward in his chair when he added, “Your going to be leading a war. Are you up for it?”

“A war?” I breathed, and looked at Petyr in astonishment. “What does he mean?”

“Man vs machine,” he teased, and placed my hand on top of his lap. “We have to preserve ourselves, Sansa. One way or the other a war is coming, and you have to be ready to help us fight for our lives.”

“Survival of the fittest,” Emerson piped up.

“Kill or be killed,” Mariam rejoined.

“Man vs machine,” Petyr uttered under his breath, and gave me a tender look as he rubbed his thumb against the back of my hand. “You have everyone here to help you. I know you will do well.”

“But you’ll be with me, right?” I asked quietly, not wanting anyone to sense my agitation.

“I will try.”

“You better do more than try.”

He chuckled low and looked away from me with a pleased air. “Now, its time to get down to business. Captain Ali, the floor is yours.”

“Last night another ship fell down to the planet’s surface, it was caught in the Devil’s Claw and fell not to far away from the metal valley. I organized a search party, and by my orders I sent them out at 23:00 hours to investigate.”

“At night?” Richards said with disbelief.

“This was a large ship,” Captain Ali explained. “The largest one that’s ever been recorded by our machines.”

“I told Captain Ali the moment it landed,” Jasmine piped up. I knew she was the Head of the Engineer Department, and the brains behind the architectural designs of Elisium, but that was all I knew from this unusually shy and quiet girl. She fidgeted with the end of her ponytail as she remarked, “One of my workers spotted it on the monitor’s the minute it flew through Plegethon’s atmosphere. Normally, I would let you guys know at dawn but the readings on our machine couldn’t wait until morning.”

“And what did they find?” Richards asked.

“I don’t know,” Captain Ali said in a flat tone of voice. “They haven’t returned.”

“That’s unusual.”

“It’s concerning,” Petyr said with some regret. “I want you to send another shuttle out to investigate.”

“We can’t,” Captain Ali confessed. “All of the engineers are busy with _Ares,_ and the only shuttle left is yours.”

“Then take it.”

“We need a back up just in case something goes wrong with _Ares_.”

“Mine can’t fly out of the planet's atmosphere,” Petyr argued. “It’s only meant for traveling across Plegethon- not out of it.”

“We can still use it to get away from Vasken’s army if they do attack.”

“What with five people aboard! You’ve seen how small my shuttle is.”

“You can escape, sir.”

“I’m not leaving you all behind,” Petyr argued. “Take my shuttle and see what the hell is going on out there.”

“They should have been back by now,” Richards observed. “Pete, did you know about this?”

“They told me this morning.” He turned to me and relayed, “That’s why I wasn’t there this morning when you woke up.”

“So, what are we going to do?” Richards asked as he flung his block hands in the air with emphasis. “Are we going to check it out, or what?”

“I’ll have your shuttle prepared in an hour,” Captain Ali stated. “And men ready to board it to investigate the matter.”

“How many were on the last shuttle?” Andrews asked, his voice sounding unusually soft in comparison to the other men. “I should inform Wong right away.”

“At least six, most of them were brown and black shirts. I wanted men with some fighting experience on board.”

“How big was the ship?” I asked, familiar with many Vasken shuttles because of Jon.

“I’m not sure,” Captain Ali replied, as he scratched the front of his face where he recently shaved. “Larger than the one you came in.”

“That one was full of A.I.,” I noted. “Could this one be more?”

“If only we knew,” Petyr grumbled.

“What if it’s a trap?” Richards suggested. “You said they were coming, Pete. What if its full of A.I. soldiers?”

“I don’t know,” Petyr wailed, and laid his hand over his head in frustration.

“I’ll call my men to prepare your ship,” Captain Ali exclaimed, and got out of his seat so he could call his men in privacy.

“Pete, I don’t like this,” Richards professed.

“Kong, are your men ready?” Petyr asked. “In case there is an attack?”

“They are, sir.”

Petyr pointed to the elderly man seated on the chair next to Richards towering figure. “Emerson, have you got the plans ready just in case we have to hide in the caves.”

“I do.”

Petyr directed his gaze to Mariam, his face softening a bit as he looked at her. “Mar, how about the equipment? Emergency gas masks, back up Raniam suits-”

“Everything is in order, Pete,” she said sweetly. “We have been preparing for this day a long time.”

“I know,” he agreed. “I just wish it didn’t come this soon.”

“Jas,” he called out. “You took a look at the shuttle, _Ares_ , yet?”

“I did,” she assented. “I know you wanted to see if we could have more food variety for the long journey, but I just don’t have enough time. I’m trying to make sure our oxygen tanks will still hold just in case we have to go into emergency mode.”

“Yes, well…” Petyr licked his lips awkwardly. “That’s more important.”

“I have extra men station at each oxygen post,” Kong assured him, his voice loud and full of command. “They’re in danger since the dwarf told them everything.”

“What happen to his accomplice?” Mariam inquired, while she shifted her weight from her right leg to the left.

“He…” Petyr paused and turned his gaze in my direction. “It’s complicated.”

“I’ll have my men kill him,” Kong bellowed. “Will make it quick.”

“He’s to live,” Petyr said with some resentment. “It is Sansa’ brother, and we made an agreement. He will be dealt with… in our own way.”

There was a tenseness in the room, and Petyr looked away from me with obvious resentment.

“He was a good worker,” Richards noted, before he leaned back on the couch. “He can come in handy in the future. Sansa, you can bring him around, right?”

“I can try.”

“I think we covered everything,” Petyr contemplated. “Everyone knows what they should be doing until the evacuation. The shuttle should be ready to leave at 14:00 hours. I have asked Captain Ali to take anything unnecessary off, so we could fit everyone inside of _Ares._ ”

“We have about 400 people going on that ship,” Jasmine surmised. “It was hard enough building infrastructures for all of them in five years but fitting them all in the shuttle will be next to impossible.”

“I’m more worried about flying out of Plegethon’s atmosphere,” Captain Ali sighed, after he took his seat beside me again.

“The math adds up,” Petyr voiced with a confident air. “We should make it.”

“What will be impossible is flying to that destination you mapped out for us,” Richards remarked with puzzlement. “You promised we would go home, Pete.”

“I have over four hundred people in that shuttle,” Petyr argued. “How exactly am I supposed to take everyone home? You know as well as I do, that we all live on different planets-”

“And galaxies,” Mariam interjected.

“Yes,” Petyr said mournfully as he looked at her. “We land _Ares_ on the abandoned Vasken base, and then figure it out from there.”

“I think you did a fine job,” Emerson said in a pleasant voice. “All of us! I think we should be proud of ourselves, we made an entire colony in five years. I’ll be sorry to leave it.”

“Yes, it has become my home,” Petyr said in a quiet voice. “I would have been quite happy to live the rest of my days here.”

“I just want to see my wife,” Richards yelled across the room. “And my daughter.”

“Aye, my family,” Emerson rejoined.

“My mother,” I piped up. “She needs me now that my dad is gone. I don’t think she can take Jon’s and my death.”

“I’ll take you home,” Petyr promised, and I felt a warm sensation as his hand rubbed my back tenderly. “I think we should call this meeting to an end.”

“Agreed,” Captain Ali shot out. He pulled down his black hat and stood up from his seat with an air of urgency. “They need me at the hanger.”

“I’ll join you,” Richards suggested, before he pushed himself off the couch as well. “I can’t fly, but I have all the knowledge still.”

“I would be grateful.”

“Bye, Pete!” Richards yelled in good humour. He waved that blocked hand at us and gave me a friendly wink as he took in Petyr’s stealthy movements as he wrapped his arm around me. “Bye Sansa!”

We both waved goodbye to him, before our attention was claimed by the last remaining guests. “Have you told her everything about Vasken?” Mariam asked, once she took a seat next to me. She was smaller than I expected, her feet barely touching the floor as she leaned back on the couch. She pulled her long hair back and put it into a ponytail again as Petyr watched her with a familiar air.

“Yes, and she knows about Jane as well.”

“Does she?” Her cheeks dimpled as she smiled at me. “And your willing to stay with him?”

“It wasn’t easy,” I confessed. “I just found out this morning, so I’m still in shock.”

“You look just like her, you know.”

“Yes, I know,” I droned, and shot Petyr an annoyed glare.

“Petyr was the one who picked out the hair colour. Red was always his favourite.”

“Tanya Ash had that colour, remember?” Petyr laughed. “She was a singer I always liked,” he explained to me, as he ran his fingers down my loose tresses.

“And the _eyes,_ ” Mariam added, as she leaned into me. “He always liked blue eyes.”

“Well, I like Petyr’s,” I cooed, and leaned into him to peck his cheek.

“You two look wonderful together,” Mariam related with a sudden warmth. “I am so happy for you both.”

“Thank you, Mar.”

“And you are so much better than Jane,” Mariam assured me. “She was always to cold for me.”

“So, you’ve said before.”

“And I was right,” she pointed out, which made Petyr grunt with displeasure. “You see, Petyr created his perfect mate, but he could never encapsulate it, never… fully capture his idea. And that was because he created it, but you…” she laid a hand on the side of my shoulder and stroked it gently. “… are perfect.”

“What are the odds that I should find her?” Petyr said, after a lengthily period of silence. Our attention was momentarily taken away as the last of Elisium’s members left us with a quick wave of the hand. Petyr shifted himself closer to me, our thighs touching as he reached for my hand and interlaced them together. “She’s like a dream,” he said with a lopsided grin.

“Yes, it is very strange,” Mariam contemplated.

“I think its fate,” Petyr voiced. “I know it sounds silly, but over these past few days I’ve been thinking. I don’t know… its like the universe has been trying to pull us together.”

“Now, you just sound silly.”

“Sansa, what do you think?”

“I think I’m lucky to find you.”

“I do too.”

Mariam let her feet slide to the ground, and it wasn’t until she smoothed down her white suit that she warned, “Take care of her, Pete.”

“I will.”

“And Sansa,” she breathed, as those dark brown eyes burrowed into mine. “You’re a lucky, girl.”

“I know.”

She gave us a sad smile and turned to go, her footsteps echoing across the living room when Petyr remarked, “I broke her heart, you know. I couldn’t…” he let out a long sigh and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. “I couldn’t love her the ways she wanted me too.”

“She wasn’t your type.”

“No.” He leaned his face forward, letting me know he wanted to kiss me again. “She’s staring back at me now.”

He began to cuddle with me, giving me sweet kisses as we leaned down on the couch together. His hands rang through my hair, fluffing it with his fingers till it fell over the arm of the couch. He kissed me, and felt a strange warmth come over me with every lingering touch. We stayed like this for a while, our bodies tightly pressed as we wrapped our arms around each other, giving playful kisses. “My sweet, Sansa,” he would say every so often, and I felt like he was breathing in my essence as he pressed his brow against my cheek.

“Petyr,” I whispered, after he leaned his face away just a little to look at me. “I forgive you, and I understand why you didn’t want to tell me.”

“I’m so sorry.” He rubbed his thumb against my rosy cheek. “I’m so sorry I kept secrets from you.”

“It’s okay.”

“I’ll tell you everything.”

“Okay.”

He kissed me on my lips tenderly, and when he moved back a little so our lips we’re just touching he whispered, “I’ll take you home, Sansa.”

“You’ll like it there,” I promised him. “We can find a place there… a home.”

“You would live with me?”

“Yes, of course.” His lips wandered over to my cheek as I uttered, “I want that.”

“You want me?” he teased.

“Yes,” before I brought his face to mine again. “I want us to start a life together.”

He kissed me again, as we both felt a high from the realization that we both wanted to spend our lives together. Petyr moved himself away and went on his knees before he took both of my hands to sit me upright. “We only have a few hours left, but I want to make the most of it.” He climbed off the couch and offered my hand to take, before I realized exactly what he meant.

“Your room, or mine?”

“Mine,” he replied with a fiendish grin. ‘My bed is bigger.”

“Like that makes a difference.” I ran down the hallway without him and flew open the door before I gave him a flirty wink. “Come on, old man!”

“My knee is bothering me today,” he complained, as he leaned against his cane more than usual. “Too much walking over the past few days.”

I raised my eyebrow at him before I ducked into his bedroom and began to zip off my suit, so he had at least something to look at by the time he arrived. “I should get you a wheelchair,” I teased, the moment he walked through the doorway.

“They don’t have that stuff anymore.”

“At least you know what it is,” I surmised.

“Well, you’re the same one who uses the term ‘Alien,’” he reasoned, after he leaned his cane against the foot of the bed.

“Here, let me help you,” I suggested, and waited until he stood still before I zipped down his science uniform. He watched me attentively, never letting his eyes leave my own; there was a depth in there that left me startled even though I’ve seen it time and time again.

He waited until his uniform was fully zipped before he swooped down and kissed my lips, wrapping his arms around my waist as he pulled me closer. He made a soft mummer when I kissed him back, and I felt so happy that I couldn’t believe such feelings were real.

We soon found ourselves in the bed, rolling around the messy sheets until there was nothing left but the empty bed. Petyr laughed once I went on top of him and made a pleasant sound when I began to kiss down his scar. There was a softness to my touch as I rubbed my finger back and forth against the ridged scar, letting him know how much he meant to me.

“Sansa,” he hushed, and motioned me to lie flat on the bed so he could make love to me. He let out a long breath against the side of my cheek before he entered inside of me, and I welcomed it by laying my hands against his firm back happily. He was gentle with me, taking his time, his eyes ever attentive as he watched me slowly go into a high. Those lips, so very soft and loving as he kissed me again and again. I murmured his name once he went deeper, and the sweet sensation he gave made my nails grip into his toned back. “Sansa,” he would whisper, and I never knew how pleasant my name sounded except when he uttered it.

The lighting from the window flickered against our bodies and in time Petyr’s hair glowed into a light brown shade, his eyes went from a steely grey to a clear green with little specks of silver around his orb. He looked so much younger, perhaps, happier than I’ve ever seen him before. Petyr looked at me with such wonder, and I could only suppose my dark auburn hair turned a brilliant shade of gold. “Oh, my sweetling,” he cooed, and kissed me as though it was the last time. “I’ll never let you go.”

He stayed in me once he was done, even as the minutes passed by, he remained on top of me. I laid there, feeling a sudden fit of drowsiness as he continued to kiss every piece of skin he could find. “Don’t fall asleep on me yet,” he chided, and I laughed at him with eyes half open. “Stay with me,” he pleaded, and I lifted my head slightly to kiss those lips that I adored.

“I will,” I promised him, and with that I stayed awake, so we could make the most of our last few hours together on Elisium.

* * *

A few hours passed by, and Petyr and I were still laying in each other’s arms. Our peaceful silence was stirred by some soft treading of feet up the staircase, it echoed across the quarters and reached our quiet room.

“Someone’s here,” Petyr muttered against my chest. “I don’t want to see anyone.”

“Send them away.”

“I can’t,” he groaned, and rolled himself away until he reached the end of the bed. “And I can’t let them see me like this either.”

“Then I better get dressed too.”

Are movements were slow as we slipped ourselves through the one-piece suit, the steps growing in strength until we heard them on the main floor. There was an eerie silence, which made Petyr’s eyebrows furrow together. “I wonder who that is,” he whispered, and motioned me to stay a few feet behind just in case as we walked through the bedroom door.

“Hey Pete?” a deep voice finally called out, and that made his body relax as he hobbled down the rest of the hallway.

“Richards,” he answered him, once he spotted him in the middle of the living room, hunched over the coffee table with an inquisitive stare.

“Shouldn’t you be packing up your stuff?” Richards asked, as he held a book up in the air to prove his point.

“Yeah, I was a little distracted,” he said from the corner of his lips.

“Oh! You two were at it again, huh?” Petyr’s lips curled into a devious smile. “I wish I could say I’m surprised.”

“I’m more surprised to see you here,” Petyr said with some concern.

“I think you two need to have a seat.” We did as we were told, before Richards cleared his throat with some discomfort and began, “You’re not going to like this.”

“What now?” Petyr drawled.

“The shuttle we just sent out gave us a message…”

“And?”

“They’re not coming back.”

“It’s Vasken, isn’t it?”

“A whole shuttle of them. The military kind, the ones you _didn’t_ want to build.”

“Tywin,” he mumbled, and those eyes expanded as he blurted out, “You said they’re not coming back!”

“No, Pete. I’m sorry.” Petyr was silent, so I reached for his hand and squeezed it in mine. “We lost some good men out there, but there is nothing we could do. They were outnumbered 10 to 1, and even your ship couldn’t outfly them.”

“They’re coming,” Petyr bellowed. “We have to leave _now._ ”

“The shuttle isn’t ready-”

“We have to go!”

“We need at least a few more hours.”

“At least?” Petyr shrilled. “By the time we get on the god damn ship we will be surrounded.”

“I know, but-”

“Make them go faster.”

“We can’t!” Richards exclaimed, and stood to his feet with frustration. “You want almost four hundred people on that ship and we are just not ready for that kind of additional weight. We are trying to get _Ares_ to accommodate everyone but-”

“We have to do something!” Petyr yelled, before he rammed the bottom of his cane on the ground. “Did you tell, Kong?”

“No, I wanted to tell you first.”

“I’ll call him. We need every man to protect the main entrance way, and we have to get the woman and children out of the way.”

“We can take them to the emergency bay.”

“That was only designed to seal in a hundred people max, and once its closed its locked for good.”

“Why the hell did you do that?”

“So they can go into the secret tunnelways without being chased, that’s why!” Petyr blurted out. He stood to his feet and brushed his hair back from his face with agitation. “Shit!”

“Petyr, there must be something we can do.”

“Hold them off for as long as we can.”

Richards walked up to his friend and said, “We can do this, man.”

“I’m not a _God_ , Richards. I can’t make everything go my way.”

“You know these things better than anyone,” Richards entreated. “How do we take them down?”

“We can’t. Not with the weapons we built.” His eyes darted back and forth as he was thinking. “I’ve never expected Vasken to bring in such a heavy militant.”

“It’s because you’re here.”

“I know.”

“Does Jane have something to do with it?”

“I don’t know,” Petyr breathed, and rang his fingers through his hair again. “God, if I could kill that Imp again I would!”

“We don’t have much time,” Richards reminded him. “What do you want me to do?”

“Call Mariam and tell her to carry out the emergency order. We have to protect the women and children.” Petyr turned to me and instructed, “Sansa, run to the medical wing and let Andrew or Wong know. They need to prepare for the battle that is about to come to us. I’ll contact my black shirts and let Kong know what’s coming.”

Petyr walked past us both, his mind already planning what to do next as he made his way to the staircase. “Sansa, I’ll meet you in the medical wing. Don’t go wandering off! I need to know where you are at _all_ times.”

“I’ll wait for you there.”

“I’ll be gone for an hour max,” he assured me. “And Richards stay in touch with me.”

“You got it, man!”

“Good luck,” Petyr said in a steady voice, before he went down the staircase without us.


	22. Jane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petyr comes face to face with his worst nightmare- Jane.

“Move!” a heavily armed guard ordered as he brushed past me, I fell into the rest of the crowd that was trying to make their way down the hallway. The entire area was packed to the wall, congested with people carrying all of the belongings on their back. There was a strange frenzy in the air, a loud panic that rang through the entire hallway as they headed towards the emergency hanger. Another guard nudged me, and I was going to yell at him, but his all black suit and long revolving orange gun made me second guess it.

“Let us through!” the crowd chanted at the front of the line, their hands lifted in the air as they screamed at the armed guards just in front of the hanger entrance. I pushed my way through the crowds to get to the right side of the hallway when a voice blared out through the loud speakers: “Please be patient. We are going as fast as we can. In the meantime form a single line with your last name and the number of passengers that will share a cabin with you.”

“Excuse me,” I wheezed, as I forced my way through a group of men. They looked at me with indifference as they let me pass by, they were more preoccupied by shouting at the guards in the front.

“Let us on!” a grizzly looking man yelled behind me and pushed at me and the rest of the crowd to force our way through.  _Petyr’s not going to like this,_  I thought, the second I stepped out of his way and tried to make it to the right side of the hallway as quick as possible. The people were angry, agitated, and scared, it seems the news of Vasken coming for them put them in a state beyond paranoia.  _They are_   _fighting for their lives,_  I thought, and pushed my way harder to the crowd till I could feel the wall against me.  _Right! Now I have too fight my way ahead to get to the medical department._

“I repeat, stay in your lines and we will take you aboard the shuttle as soon as possible,” a voice said through the speakers, and that only aggravated the people further. I had my fill at this point and charged my way through the crowd, ignoring their angry cries until I reached the hallway connected to this chaotic one.

“Stop right there!” a guard ordered and held his gun in my direction as I tried to make my way through the empty hallway.

“I need to go to the medical wing.”

“No one’s allowed down here.”

I took a step forward and only stopped when he raised a gun at my face. “Lord Baelish ordered me to go here,” I snapped. “So, let me through!”

“Name and rank,” he quickly said through his pitch-black mask, silver slits running down where his eyes could see was the only thing that kept me from thinking he was A.I.- that and the eerie breaths escaping through the small silver holes in front of his mouth.

“Sansa Stark,” I answered him. “I don’t know what rank I am.”

He punched in my name on the back of his hand and waited for a second before the monitor to blink before he uttered, “Your clear.”

“Thank you,” I said politely, not sure why I was still holding on to my manners when all around me was crumbling into a state of anarchy.

“He will escort you,” the guard said, and motioned for another guard to step forward and position himself beside me.

The other guard was taller, and the only thing that separated him from the rest was his eye slits was a dark red and he appeared to be less armed than the others.

“Why are you guarding this area?” I asked, once we started to walk down the all-white hallway. The guard tilted his head slowly and gave me a look that quickly silenced me.  _What’s going on,_  I wondered, as he took a look over his shoulder before he continued to lead me to the medical wing. Once we reached the doors, he laid his gloved hand over the scanner and waited a second before the computer voiced: “Access Granted.”

“You can go in,” he bellowed, and took a step back with his gun half trained on me.

I nervously walked in front of the door, remembering the last time I was in here I had that secret operation. The doors slid open and the room in front of me had an eerie glow to it, a pale blue light casted across the walls and ceiling, and once I stepped through the door it shut behind me.

“Sansa?” a voice asked through the speaker just above my head. “I never expected to see you here?”

“Andrew?” I asked, feeling that voice was somehow familiar.

“Yes. I’ll be right with you.” There was a pause that left me somewhat unsettled, before he added, “Please, have a seat.”

I looked around me and saw the medical area was uncharacteristically empty except for the rows of beds that stretched out across the room.  _There’s no way I’m sitting on those things again._  I elected to stand just in front of the door, and it wasn’t until I heard footsteps coming from an unknown area that the wall to my left started to shift and soon it slid open for Doctor Wong and Andrew to appear.

“You look shocked,” Andrew said with amusement. He wasn’t in his usual science uniform, instead he was wearing a lime green sweatshirt and navy-blue slacks. Doctor Wong, however, was in her standard uniform, a thing that gave me some sense of relief. “You’ve never seen this before?” Andrew asked, after he pointed to the open wall behind him.

“No.”

“I’m surprised Petyr hasn’t told you,” Doctor Wong voiced with suspicion. “You should know we are taking every necessary precautions.”

“From what?”

“The people are in a state of panic,” Andrew pointed out. “There’s no telling what they are going to do.”

“How do they know Vasken is coming?”

“Oh, you know how it is,” Andrew said with a shrug of the shoulders. “Once you tell someone something it spreads like wildfire.”

“We removed all of the medical equipment for our own safety,” Doctor Wong explained. “And elected to hide in our secret department until Lord Baelish gives us the go ahead.”

“Most of the equipment is onboard the ship by now,” Andrew said gleefully. “I’m excited to see the medical wing on  _Ares._ ”

“I just want to go home,” Doctor Wong sighed. “What are you here for… Sansa?”

 _Was she going to call me something else,_  I wondered, as she looked slightly embarrassed under my inquisitive gaze. “Petyr wanted to tell me that both of the shuttles he sent out aren’t coming back.”

“Both?” Andrew asked with raised eyebrows.

“Yes, and that the ship that landed on this planet is full of military designed A.I.’s.”

“If that’s the case we are going to need a lot more equipment,” Doctor Wong said in a small voice.

“And body bags,” Andrew added with a grievous look.

“What are you going to do?” I asked, after I took in their pained expressions.

Doctor Wong let out a long sigh, her calm demeanour seemed to be shattering before my very eyes. “We’ll open the medical wing if needed, but if those things come here there is no hope… for all of us.”

Andrew walked away and went into the hidden wall space for a moment before he returned with one of those infamous white masks. “If the oxygen tanks give out your going to need this.”

I felt the cold plastic touch the palm of my hand before I enraptured my fingers around the hardened material. “Thanks,” I murmured as I looked into the white eye cover that hauntingly stared back at me.

“Petyr should have one.”

“I think he does,” I replied and held the mask up to my face. “How does it work?”

“Automatically,” Doctor Wong replied. “It senses your presence and works right away.”

“You’ll know if you need it once all the lights go off, the oxygen is connected to our power source.”

“It’s connected to everything,” Doctor Wong added with uneasiness.

Andrew smoothed down his quilted sweatshirt nervously, feeling the soft ridges going down his chest as he contemplated, “Let’s just make sure we are on that shuttle by then.” He looked up at me suddenly and blurted out, “Where’s Petyr?”

“Security Department. He wanted to speak to Kong.”

“Left you all alone?”

“I can handle myself.”

“In the mean time come with us,” Andrew said, as he turned away from me. “We shouldn’t be here.”

The hidden wall closed behind us once I stepped through the darkness, and a dim light flickered on from some unseen lamp. There was a draft here, coming from the side of me and I noticed this secret room stretched on forever. “It’s like a tunnel,” Doctor Wong explained. “You’re looking at our original medical wing when we first started.”

“Dreary, isn’t it?” Andrew teased, and sat down at a chair in front of a desk before he put his feet on top of it.

“Andrew,” his boss scolded, and he gave her a look before he dropped his feet to the floor.

“We saw you come in through the security camera,” Doctor Wong noted, and pointed at a small monitor next to her belongings. “If it was anyone else I might have shot you with the gas.”

“That’s comforting.”

“We have medicine here that can heal you, but it can also kill you. My job is to keep everyone safe-”

“And my job is to administer the right one,” Andrew laughed.

I leaned against the table and stared at the blinking blue screen, it was an eerie thing to look at once I considered them watching me fall asleep on the hospital bed only four days ago. I turned my head to see Doctor Wong staring at me, and when she knew I caught her she let out a nervous laugh. “You look like her,” she confessed. “I just wanted to make sure you weren’t really Jane.”

“I’m not,” I said sharply, and turned to Andrews to see if he looked at me the same way.

“Don’t look at me?” he shouted. “I’m more jealous of you more than anything else.”

“What?”

“Are you the one who convinced Petyr to shave it all off?”

“His beard?”

“Yes,” he answered me in a sassy voice. “His beard.”

“Yeah.”

“He looks better, doesn’t he?” he asked, as he rubbed a finger over his bottom lip.

“Yeah,” I said with some confusement.

“I like it,” he said with a harmless shrug. “Well, we can’t have them all.”

“Andrew, enough,” Doctor Wong reprimanded him. “Leave the poor girl alone.”

I sat down on the table between them both and let my legs dangle in the air. “It seems everyone wants, Petyr,” I teased, and laughed once Andrew gave me a wink.

Doctor Wong began to pack up the rest of her papers, and Andrew and I watched her absent-mindedly. My mind was drifting off in space, worrying about Petyr and fearing the things that awaited us in the next few hours, if we even had that much time. Andrew was playing with an antique pocket watch, watching it open and close with boredom. The tunnel that we were in was dark and drafty, an odd scent flooded my senses, but I wasn’t exactly sure what it was. I was staring down at my nails when Doctor Wong breathed, “It’s so quiet here.”

“Yes,” Andrews agreed as he crossed his legs. “I might actually lose my mind.”

“You should see outside,” I laughed, although the situation wasn’t funny now that I thought about it.

“Yes, we’ve been told,” Doctor Wong said sullenly as she glided her fingers through her smooth dark hair that just reached her shoulders. “I’m thankful for the guards.”

“I’m thankful for this room,” I mused, although the darkness was unsettling. “I can only hope Petyr is okay. He told me to wait here until he comes get me.”

“You still have time,” Doctor Wong said in a motherly voice, although she was relatively the same age as Petyr. She gathered her stuff and threw into her arms before she remarked, “I’m packing these up. I’ll be right back.”

Andrew gave her a thumbs up and the moment she left he placed his feet on top of the desk again. “Alright, Sansa, spill!” he yelled, as he lifted his own oxygen mask in front of his face and stared at his reflection. “Do you actually like the guy or…”

“Petyr? Yeah, I do actually,” I said in the same sarcastic tone of voice as him.

“So, you’re not just…”

I flipped my hair behind my back and mumbled, “You can just say it.”

“Using him.”

“No.”

“Cause he is the top dog, you know?”

“Yeah, I know that.”

“Right,” he quietly said, and turned his head to look at me. “I was just wondering.”

“It’s not like that,” I assured him. “I really do like Petyr. It sounds crazy, but it’s true.”

“Did you tell him that?”

“Not exactly,” I muttered, while fidgeting with an antique pen I found on the desk, the engravings of Doctor Wong with a strange image beside it claimed my attention for a moment. “Least not in words.”

“So. you didn’t say the three big words?”

“I love you?”

“Those are the only three I know,” he said with sarcasm, apparently, he was one of those people with dry humour.

“No, but he never-”

“-said it as well?” he cut in. “Let me give you some advice from one friend to another.” He took the pen out of my hand and laid it on the table between us, so I couldn’t have anymore distractions. “Say it while you still can, because you never know when it might be your last.”

There was a sadness in Andrew’s eyes, even his body looked rigid as he sat in front of the desk. “You’re speaking from experience, aren’t you?” I quietly asked, sensing it was a difficult subject.

“Yeah, but he never loved me,” he said with bitterness. “So, what does it matter anyways?”

“It clearly does,” I said matter of factly, taking in the harshness to his voice as he uttered those last few words.

“All I’m trying to say is, tell him.” He dropped his feet to the ground and stood up to face me before he added, “Cause one day you might regret it.”

* * *

 

Andrew was leaning against the table when he picked up a strange looking walkie talkie and held it in front of his mouth. He had a look of mischief when he pressed the button and sang: “Ground control to Major Tom.”

I shook my head at him, knowing fully well what song he was referring too. A static noise came through the small speakers of his communication device. “No one’s on the other end?”

“Richards here,” a voice prompted up from the static. “What can I help you with?”

“Andrews calling. I wanted to know when you can send us up?”

The static was practically drowning out Richards’ voice when he answered, “I can take one of you now. Both of your rooms are prepared. So, which one will it be?”

“I’ll go.”

“Oh? And have you discussed this with Doctor Wong?”

He looked to the left to see if she was coming down the tunnel, but the silence was enough to know she wasn’t nearby. “She won’t mind.”

“You know there is a hierarchy, right?”

“Your saying she is more important?” he asked with a certain level of vexation. “You know, I do most of the work down here.”

“Which is why you should stay. If anyone gets injured, we need at least one of you to stay on the ground until everyone’s on board.”

“Yeah, but why do I have to-” he stopped once he heard Doctor Wong’s footsteps heading towards us. “Fine! I’ll send her up.”

“I’m sorry, man. Your doing the right thing.”

Andrew cut off the signal and tossed the walkie talkie device down on the table. His arms were folded against his chest by the time Doctor Wong came into view. “You’re to go up,” he grunted. “They need me down here.”

“About time,” she said with a satisfied smile. “You’ll be okay without me?”

“I’ll manage.”

“Well, give me a hug.” She went over to Andrews and hugged him as a mother would to her child. “You better be on board by the time we fly out of here.”

“Don’t worry, I will,” he mumbled, as he forcibly broke away from her hug.

“And you better take care of Sansa,” she reminded him, once she hugged me as well. “That’s top priority.”

“Will do.”

She let out a relieved sigh and then went over to collect a box full of things. “I’m so sad to go,” she relayed, as she held the plastic box in her hand. “But I’m happy at the same time.” She gave us a sad smile before Andrew opened the secret wall and let her pass through.

“It isn’t fair,” he grumbled, as we both watched her through the security monitor a few minutes later. “I should be the one going.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to deal with whatever’s down here.” He moved away from the monitor and went over to the desk to retrieve his things, apparently it wasn’t a lot for it all fit in a light cloth backpack. “Where’s Petyr?”

“I don’t know. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” I asked, after I sat down on his chair. “You think something happened?”

“Richards would have told me.”

“Where could he be?”

“I could look through the other security monitors,” he remarked, and went over to the floating screen and swiped his finger against it. “Here’s a camera to show the main hallway to the medical wing.”

“It’s empty,” I groaned.

“Diana didn’t take her time.”

“She probably ran there,” I laughed, and then stood out of the seat to get a better look. “Is there any other screens?”

“Just one,” he replied, and swiped again to see the hallway just connected to the main one. “Holy shit!” he cursed, once we saw the horrifying scene displayed in front of us. People were pushing their way forward and the guards were unable to hold them back. They trampled most of the guards, and the few that were still alive were running for their lives. The entire crowd was charging their way down the hall, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop them.

“Wong?” I asked and moved closer to the screen to see if I could catch a glimpse of her.

“Maybe it’s a good thing I let her go,” he said dryly. “I mean, its not like she can go to the front of the line.”

I lightly smacked him on his arm for his insolence, before I turned my eyes back to the monitor. “Are they all going to rush on the ship?”

“They can try,” Andrews noted, before he turned his gaze to me. “But I have a feeling they won’t get that far.”

A series of containers flew into the crowd, and pretty soon the entire hallway was flooded with a ghostly grey gas. “What are they doing?” I cried, as I watched everyone cover their mouths with their hands.

“Gas,” Andrews answered with cold indifference. “Enough to knock them out.”

“Why?”

“We need order, Sansa.” He laughed at my ignorance while shaking his head at me. “We can’t have them all barging onto the shuttle like that.”

“Knocking them out won’t solve the problem!”

“No, but it’s the lesser of two evils.” He pointed at the screen and laughed, “Oh, look who managed to get to the front of the line?”

“Is that Wong?” I said with disbelief. She had the mask over her face, but I recognized the plastic box in her hands as she skipped over the sleepless bodies.

“It sure is, and few other  _important_  people as well."

“There’s Kong!” I pointed out, as I saw him and a large army of black soldiers behind him walking from the front of the line to the back with black masks over their faces. “Where are they going?”

“Back to the security quarters?” He scratched the front of his head, his thick ginger curls flopped back and forth between his fingers. “It’s anyone’s guess.”

“I don’t see Petyr.”

“What the hell?” His voice cracked as he uttered it, and he took a step forward to stare at the screen. “Did you see that?”

“No.”

“Sansa, put on your mask. I think the power is about to shut off.” He watched me put it on before he reached for his own, and sure enough the lights start to flick on the monitor as Kong and his men made their way down the hall. “That’s just the beginning,” he said through the muffled speakers of his mask. “The oxygen tanks are separated thanks to Jasmine's ingenuity, so if one goes down it doesn’t effect us all. Still…” he paused once the lights turned off on the monitor and we couldn’t see anything else. “It’s only a matter of time till we experience it too.”

“What are you looking for?” I asked once he pulled open the drawer and dug his hand into it with a sudden desperation.

“Lights!”

“Let me help,” I suggested, and went through the stacks of drawers underneath the desk.

“I found this,” he jeered, and lifted a small handgun in the air. “A little present from Wong, maybe?”

I continued to scatter the papers everywhere as I searched for a flashlight or anything that resembled it. There was nothing helpful here, so I went over to a large medicine cabinet and looked inside of it, but the cabinet was completely empty.

“We should go,” Andrew proposed, knowing fully well that I would object to the idea. “I don’t know if Petyr’s coming, and I don’t want to be here when Vasken finds us.”

“You were ordered to stay here!”

“Look, if you want to meet the things your boyfriend created be my guest, but I’m leaving.” He stuck the gun in his pocket and rolled up his sleeves before he pulled his backpack over his shoulder.

“You don’t have a flashlight,” I reminded him.

“I’ll do my best.” He pulled his backpack on completely and pressed a button on the end of the table to open the sliding wall. “You coming?”

“No, I’ll wait for him.”

He took a few steps back as he offered, “Your better off with me, you know?”

“I can’t go,” I said with some regret. “If you run into Petyr tell him where I am.”

“You got it!” he said with a final wave of goodbye, and with that the wall closed behind him.

 _Petyr better come,_  I thought worriedly, and then sat down on the chair to calm my nerves. The tunnel was quiet, a faint breeze could be heard as it whistled past me and I wondered exactly where it was coming from.  _I should have stayed upstairs,_  I pondered, and wondered why Petyr sent me down here in the first place.

Though I was isolated from everyone and everything I heard terrifying screams coming from somewhere, a sound that made me jump out of my seat. _What was that,_  I thought, and looked all around me to figure out where the screams were coming from. Fearing the worst, I looked around the abandoned office space to find a flashlight or another gun.

“Ah, shit!” I moaned once the lights shut off. _Calm down,_  I told myself, as I got off my knees and felt my way around the desk until I could find my chair.  _Your perfectly safe,_  I reminded myself, but the sounds of guns going off in the distance did little for my nerves.

“Breathe, breathe,” I whispered to myself, hearing my quickened breaths through the oxygen mask. The temperature seemed to be dropping by the second, a thing that reminded me of the caves where the Night Crawlers dwelled. I looked down the tunnel and wondered if it was somehow connected to the others.  _You’re just making it worse,_  I mused, and tried to calm down again.

“Petyr, please just come,” I whispered, as I rocked in my chair like a frightened child.  _I was safe here, but for how long?_ _I have no source of light, no weapons, no guide, what am I supposed to do?_

The sound of heavy footfalls was my only answer, and I stood out of my seat and stared at the blank wall with anticipation. There was a loud thump against the surface, and I fished around the desk till I could find the button I was looking for to unlock the secret wall.

“Sansa?” Petyr breathed, the pale blue emergency lights shined on his darkened form.

I ran to him and hugged him so tightly we almost fell to the floor. “Petyr, where have you been?” I scolded him, as I clawed at his science suit with agitation.

“I came as fast as I could,” he assured me, and pulled back my hair behind my ears lovingly. “I shouldn’t have sent you away.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” I chided, after I hugged him again. “Petyr, what’s going on?”

“Everything is going wrong. We are already under attack, but luckily its no where near the hanger. Kong is trying to hold them off as we speak.” He took my hand and led me through the hidden door, closing it behind him with a sense of urgency. “Do you have a flashlight?”

“No.”

“A gun?”

“No, Andrew took it.”

“And he left you, I’m guessing?” he asked, as he rummaged over the desk with a tiny flashlight in his hand.

“He asked me to come, but I wanted to wait for you.”

He let his hand rub the side of my arm approvingly as he whispered, “Good girl.”

“Petyr, what are you looking for?”

“Anything to help us,” he answered. “I think we may have to take this tunnel to get back to the others.”

I leaned against the desk and picked up the pen I was fidgeting with earlier. “Others?”

“Most of the members of Elisium council are already on the shuttle. Its nearly time to be off.”

“But those people,” I remarked, and pointed the tip of the pen at him. “Did you give the orders to gas them like that?”

“No, sweetling.”

“Then who did?” I said in an accusatory tone.

Petyr stopped his vainless search and pointed the flashlight to the ground before he answered, “I told Kong to hold them back for as long as possible by any means necessary. He thought _that_ was necessary.”

“I disagree.”

“Well, you are not my head of security, are you?"

I stuffed the pen into my front pocket and in a low tone of voice answered, “No, I’m not.”

“They won’t be out for very much longer,” he assured me. “That’s when the real trouble begins.”

The howls and screams were getting louder, Petyr pointed the flashlight to the hidden door and listened attentively. “I think they are breaking through,” he mumbled. “We should go.”

He took my hand and pulled me down the tunnel, practically running over the muddy surface as fast as he could. “Petyr! Why are we going this way?” I yelled at him, before I jumped over a large boulder just to catch up to him.

“The hallways are barricaded. No one’s allowed through, including me.” He took my hand again and pulled a little harder. “We have to go!”

The oxygen masks allowed us to breath, but it was not ideal for the sprinting that Petyr was forcing me to do. “Petyr,” I wailed, and stopped to catch my breath, feeling like not enough air was coming into lungs.

“Sansa, we can’t stop now,” he argued. “There isn’t enough time!”

“What are we running from?” I said angrily.

“They are here, Sansa. And if we don’t hurry up they will find me and then…”

“They won’t!” I said with determination and stood up straight to catch one last breath. “Alright, we’re are we going?”

“We need to get to the hanger.” He pointed his flashlight up ahead and noted, “This tunnel will only take us so far, but after we will run into a large cavern and then I will have to find the right one that will take us to _Ares_.”

“Do you remember which one it is?”

“I might.” He made a clicking sound with his tongue and knocked the tip of his flashlight on his hip. “It’s been a while. I only wish Emerson was here.”

“Could you ask him?”

“We left the walkie talkie back there.” He looked over his shoulder and contemplated the matter. “I want to be as far away from the medical wing as possible.”

“Okay…” I walked up to him and slipped my arm through his. “So, what do you suggest?”

“Let’s keep going. The robots I saw so far, are not advanced enough to know there are secret caves in Elisium.”

“Just robots?” I teased, glad he didn’t mention anything related to Jane.

“To put it lightly, yes.” He grumbled under his breath and I knew something was troubling him. “I think we should go.”

I followed his lead and soon we were lightly jogging through the muddy surface until we reached the large open space that Petyr was referring to earlier. He looked around for a few minutes before he chose a narrow tunnel and led me into the pursuing darkness.

“I’ve been thinking…” he paused and waited till I was close to his side before he continued. “I think I found a way to defeat Jane’s plan.”

“How?”

“It’s only a guess,” he mused, as we ducked low to adjust to the enclosing tunnel space. “But I feel like if I could just take a look at one of my A.I.’s then I can figure out a way to stop them. You see, all of them have a connection- a network programmed into all of the universal hard drive, and if I could just hack into it and-”

“Reprogram it?” I asked.

“Essentially, yes. It would be difficult though. I would need time to study it and configure it to my liking.”

“How much time?”

“It depends. I’ll have to look at it first,” he replied, after he crouched down to force himself through the narrow shaft. “The only problem is if we do escape Plegethon I might never have another chance.”

“So, you want to stay behind?”

“No, sweetling,” he laughed. “I just don’t want to go on that shuttle just yet.” He paused and looked over his shoulder to look at me with his flashlight blinding my face. “All the same, it’s a risk I’m not sure I’m willing to take. Sansa…”

“Yes?”

“Promise me something.”

“Okay,” I answered him, and leaned forward to tilt his flashlight downwards so it was away from my face.

“Don’t let them take me.”

“I won’t.”

“Dead or alive,” he added in a curiously low voice.

“Dead?” I said with surprise. “What do you mean by that?”

“I have the faintest feeling Vasken will find a way to bring me back to life, and I fear what I will become if they succeed.”

I was about to tell him that was physically impossible, but the way he suddenly reached for my hand and held it pleadingly changed my mind. “I promise, Petyr.”

“Thank you, Sansa,” he whispered, and with that he turned around and pointed his flashlight in the right direction.

* * *

The tunnel eventually led us to an emergency hatch, a secret compartment that Petyr and I opened gladly. The bright lights blinded us for a moment, before Petyr climbed his way out of it and pulled me onto the solid ground. “We’re here,” he laughed happily, and fell down on the ground whole heartedly. “Seven Hells, Sansa! We made it.”

“We’re in the hanger,” I said with disbelief, as I crouched beside him. “ _Ares_ is right over there!”

“Yes, we took the backway,” he explained. “An emergency escape route designed by Jasmine. What would I do without her?” He stood to his feet and brushed himself off as he looked at the gleaming black ship under the bright lights. “The power is still on here,” he observed. “They haven’t hit us yet.”

“So, we’re safe?” I asked, as I got to my feet as well.

“For now.”

“People are boarding the shuttle,” I observed, and pointed to the large crowd pushing their way through to get onto Ares. The guards had very little control over them, only enough for the people not to get trampled completely.

“They’re scared,” Petyr breathed, and looked around to see their horrified faces as they pushed their way through. “They know Vasken is here.”

“We should get on board too,” I told him, and tugged at his hand in that direction, but Petyr stopped me.

“Wait!” he urged and pointed at the main entrance way where he saw a group of black shirts running towards the shuttle. “Something’s gone wrong. They shouldn’t be here… not yet.”

There was a series of gunfire and a loud explosion behind the guards, and I just knew something was coming. “They’re getting attacked!” I shouted and pulled on Petyr’s arm so we could run to the shuttle. “What are you doing, let’s go!”

“Its too late,” he breathed, and pointed to a line of white looking android’s forming a long row across the entrance way. “They’re here,” Petyr’s voice trembled as he uttered it. “He crouched down low and hid behind a garbage can, pulling me down with him much to my dismay. “They might have seen me.”

“You’re too far away,” I pointed out. “We are on the other end of the hanger, it’s impossible for them-”

“Sansa,” he said irritably. “Please, shut up!”

“Excuse me!”

“They can pick up my voice,” he snapped, and pulled me down further so we couldn’t be spotted. The lights suddenly shut off and the entire hanger echoed in frightful screams.

“Fuck!” Petyr breathed, and pulled me away from the garbage can so we can crawl down a ramp near us. The emergency lights were still on, so we could at least see our way across the floor. Petyr crept over to a metal garage-like door and went on his knees, so he could place his hand over the security scanner.

“Petyr,” a woman’s voice said through Elisium’s emergency speakers, and that made him freeze in place. His eyes widened as he looked behind him, he violently shuddered as he pressed himself against the doorway.

“No,” he chocked, and suddenly grabbed a hold of me to pull me into the unknown room. The room was filled with weapons from top to bottom, Petyr sprinted up the white steps as the voice continued, “I know you’re here, Petyr. I’ve been waiting for you for a _long_ time.”

“Sansa, grab a weapon!” Petyr screamed, as he continued to run up the winding staircase. “A big one.”

I ran to the far end wall and laid my hand on a security scanner, so the glass wall could slide open. _I’m going to kill the bitch,_ I thought, as I grabbed the largest weapon in the glass case.

“I know what you did, Petyr. I remember. I remember _everything._ ”

I threw the thick black strap over my shoulder and rested the bazooka against my hip.

“You overreacted, Petyr. A human trait that can easily be changed.”

Petyr ran down the stairs with a machine gun in his hand and a solar panelled gun strapped over his shoulder. His brow was drenched in sweat and those eyes looked so grave and cold as he looked at me.

“Petyr?” the voice prompted up again. “I can help you- change you. We can build the world we always dreamed of.”

“Let’s get her,” I said bitterly, and pushed past him with my gun to get into a sand dune buggy near the metal door.

“I’ll drive,” Petyr shot out, and slung the gun over the arm of his chair before he jumped into the seat. “You shoot them down until I find Jane.”

“What will she look like?”

“I’ll know her when I see her,” he grunted, and pressed on an orange button to start the engines.

“You can’t stop me, Petyr. _We_ are the future. Human life is the past.”

Petyr pulled the buggy right up to the security panel and got out for a moment to lay his hand over the scanner. “The past is the past,” he said to me. “We must look to the future now. And if we don’t stop Vasken now, if we don’t stop _her_ , then there is no future.”

He laid his hand on the screen and immediately the metal doors began to open. “Petyr, stop!” I screamed out, but it was too late, five white legs stationed in front of the door crouched down and deathly pale faces appeared, all trained on us with glowing green eyes.

“Fuck!” Petyr yelled, and ran towards the buggy to retrieve his gun, but it was too late, one of them reached over and grabbed at his leg.

“Petyr!” I screamed, and shot the bazooka near them, so I wouldn’t harm Petyr. The metal door bursted open and flew at the four robots, but the other one leveled to the ground was unharmed. A mechanical arm lifted up Petyr into the the air and hung him upside down. _If I shoot at him they both die,_ I realized, as I leveled the gun at them. _What am I supposed to do?_

“Shoot!” Petyr cried helplessly. My gun nervously trembled in my hand, I swallowed hard, as I saw the inhuman face tilt in my direction with a blank stare. “Kill it!”

I raised my gun at it with sudden determination and closed my eyes before I pressed down on the trigger.

 


	23. To the Stars and Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final battle against Vasken makes Sansa realize how much she truly cares for Petyr, but has this realization come a little too late?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Insp:
> 
> I have seen things you people wouldn’t believe.
> 
> Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like… tears in rain.
> 
> \- Blade Runner

When I opened my eyes, I could hardly believe what was in front of me- great rays of light blasting into the air like fireworks, shaking the very floor on which we stood.

The android had deflected the blast from my bazooka using a veil-like shield that suddenly appeared from the palm of his hand; it was enough to deflect the powerful weapon but not enough to stop it entirely. The impact made them both fly backwards into the air and land a few feet away from me. I crouched low, peaking over the dashboard to see if the droid was stirring. A few seconds passed by before I exchanged my weapon for Petyr’s shotgun and strapped his solar paneled gun over my left shoulder before I kicked open the door. Ever so slowly I crept across the floor with my gun trained on the pale white droid whose armour was now corroded over from the growing flames around him.

Petyr was the first to stir, the palms of his hands laid flat upon the floor before he slowly lifted himself to his feet. His back was still towards me, and the desire to see his face made my eyes stray to to him instead of the robot that was silently undergoing self-repair without my knowledge.

“Petyr,” I breathed, once he turned around to look at me, but that moment was broken when we heard a low droning sound from the robot as it began to rise to his feet.

“Run!” Petyr shouted, but I lifted my gun instead and fired the shot gun at the droid; the bullet hit his shoulder which made him stagger backward upon impact, it was enough time for me to fire again at his chest but that seemed to do little damage to the creature. Those glowing green eyes laid a hand over his chest with curiosity, and seeing no damage had been done, it began to stride towards me. _I need a new_ _gun,_ I thought, and dropped my weapon in favour of the solar paneled gun.

“Sansa, run!” Petyr ordered, but I ignored him and shot the laser weapon at the quickly approaching droid. _Dammit,_ I thought, after I missed and leveled the gun at him to try again. “Get out of there,” Petyr cried, and that split second of looking at Petyr was enough time for the android to come sprinting towards me.

“Leave the girl,” a woman’s voice said over the speakers. “Bring me Petyr.”

The robot stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Petyr’s ghostly white face. “Shit,” I cursed, and leveled my gun at the droid before I sent a series of laser shots into the center of his back.

“Sansa,” Petyr cried in fear as he walked backwards, never letting his eyes leave the towering droid that was now stalking him. “Do something!”

I tried the laser gun again, but it only ricocheted off the heavy casing of his suit. _Try the head,_ I thought, and leaned over the hood of the buggy to level the gun until it narrowed in on the back of his head.

“Make sure he’s alive,” the women’s voice piped up, once the robot was only a few steps away from him.

“Its now or never,” I whispered to myself before I fired the gun and watched it hit straight on target. The droid staggered forwards, his arms reaching out for Petyr but it wasn't enough to catch him in time.

“Got him,” a deep voice yelled out behind a row of garbage cans before a gloved hand threw a grenade right next to the droid. It exploded the minute it touched the floor and I covered my eyes as bright lights, like lightening bolts skidded across the floor and enraptured the droid until it shook him with a violent tremor. A large man jumped over a garbage can and charged down the staircase with his gun still trained on the military droid.

“Pete!” a voice called out behind one of the garbage cans. “Now is the time to run,” Richards yelled, after he peaked over the garbage can and waved at us. “You too, Sansa!”

I slung the gun over my shoulder and picked up the shotgun before I ran towards Petyr and one of the brown shirts. “How do you kill this thing,” the large man barked, and his voice reminded me of someone I met only once before.

“You can’t,” Petyr quietly said. “But you disabled it… for now.”

“Enough time for us to get the fuck out of here,” he grumbled, before he eased his grip on the gun and motioned us forwards.

“I need him,” Petyr stated, and kneeled in front of the shaking droid with his sickly green eyes still trained on us.

“Petyr,” I urged him, and tugged on his arm for us to leave.

“The hanger is still under attack by those things,” the large man pointed out. “We are holding them off, but not much longer.”

“Pete!” Richards called out, as he ran towards us. “What the hell are you still doing here?”

“Let me bring him on board,” Petyr answered. “I need to take a look at him, so I can stop Jane.”

“We don’t have time for this-”

“Then make time,” Petyr argued. He pointed at the shaking android when he added, “This might be our only chance to stop this.”

“And this might be our only chance to leave,” Richards reminded him. “Do you hear those firing weapons just behind us? That’s the last of the brown and black shirts firing at those things _you_ created. They are risking their lives just to save us, and here you are going on about taking that _thing_ onto our ship.”

“I need to look at its hard drive,” Petyr argued. “I need to know what she did to them.”

“Jane! Why must it _always_ come down to Jane?”

“Richards, please-”

“I heard her voice on the speaker,” he yelled out in anger. “The only reason we are in this mess is because of you!”

“Then let me stop this before it's too late,” he roared.

“Petyr, please,” I pleaded, and took the side of his arm to steer him away from the droid that was now lying motionless on the ground. “Let’s leave now, while we still have the chance.”

“Where is the hard drive?” the large man bellowed, and lifted the droid up by the neck until he forced it to his feet.

“The head usually,” Petyr mumbled with cold indifference. “Why?”

The brown shirt slung the gun over his back before he laid both of his hands on the side of the droid. In one quick moment he twisted the droid’s head, and a sharp mechanical crunching sound was heard before he pulled it off completely. He tossed the head into Petyr’s arms with a grunt and turned around, so he could go back to the shuttle.

“There’s your god damn head,” Richards grunted, after Petyr looked at the droid’s sable black eyes inquisitively. “Now, let’s get out of here.”

“I don’t understand,” Petyr muttered. “It’s not supposed to be that easy.”

“What isn’t?” I asked, before the droid beside us suddenly exploded and threw the three of us into the air.

My breathing was laboured when I finally blinked open my eyes, and I could hear the flickering flames all around me as I began to lift my head.

“Are you alright?” Richards asked, as he crawled towards me with blood all over his hands. He was holding onto his left shoulder where a large gash could be seen. “I think something hit me.”

“What happened?” I asked, as I held my head in my hands, still hearing a ringing from the large explosion that just hit us.

“Sansa,” Richards mouthed, his voice sounded muffled as my ears continued to ring. “Is that Petyr?”

I gasped out loud with my hand covering my mouth before I ran towards Petyr, whose face was firmly pressed to the ground while he was surrounded by a pool od blood. “Petyr,” I cried, and laid my hands on his shoulder, too afraid to roll him over. “Petyr, please,” I groaned, a silent plea for him to move on his own accord.

“He was the closest to the blast,” Richards said matter of factly, as he crouched beside me. He laid a hand over his shoulder and the other his waist before he asked me to do the same. “You got to stay strong,” he whispered, before we both rolled Petyr over until he was on his back.

“Oh god,” I breathed, once I saw most of his scientific suit had been ripped off with the blast and saw a metal shard projecting out of his right rib.

“We got to get him on the ship,” Richards urged, and lifted Petyr off the ground until he could hold him in his arms.

I laid a hand over Richards bloody shoulder and reminded him, “Your hurt.” The open wound made his blood pour all down his arm and drip to the floor.

“It has to wait.” Richards grunted as he lifted Petyr higher and leaned him against his chest. “We have to save Pete.”

I walked beside him as we made our way to _Ares_ , a line of fire was close beside us as we ducked and dogged our way to the ship. There was still a few droids around that managed to escape past the guards, and we had no intention to run into them right now.

“Come on!” the same brown shirt called out, as he stood in front of the metal plank. “What did I miss?” he asked, the second he saw the three of us covering in blood.

Richards ignored him and carried Petyr onto the shuttlecraft. “Where’s the medical wing?” he asked the first person he saw inside the craft, and when no one was able to answer he grunted and strode down the wide hallway without me.

“Oh my god! What happened?” Mariam called out, once she saw us walk past her. “Is that Pete?”

“Where’s the medical wing?” Richards gruffly asked. She pointed down the hall, and Richards stormed forward without another word.

“I thought you guys were safe,” she whispered to me. “We could see you through the camera’s located outside the ship.”

“The droid just exploded,” I explained.

“Self-destruction,” she noted, and shook her head in disapproval. “Every military droid has a self-repair mode, and if it cannot be fulfilled it has no choice but to destroy itself.” She looked ahead of her and added, “That way our enemies can never know how the droid’s are built.”

“The head,” I yelled out, and cursed under my breath realizing it was the very thing that exploded in Petyr’s hands. _That must be the thing projecting out of Petyr’s ribcage,_ I realized, and found myself worrying even more.

“Take a right!” Mariam instructed, and ran up to Richards to point at an open doorway just ahead of us. “Take the stairs and you should find Doctor Wong and Andrew there.”

“Andrew is here?” I asked, as I ran up to them.

“Yes, but he’s injured.” She pointed to Richards right shoulder and added, “Same sort of wound like Damian.”

“Will that be an issue?” Richards looked down at Mariam’s small figure and inquired, “Will he still be able to operate?”

“I don’t know.”

The staircase was short and soon we were in the medical wing where Doctor Wong was the first to greet us. “Ran into some trouble?” she laughed, but her smile soon faded away once she realized the person in Richards arms was Petyr. “Hurry, we don’t have much time.”

Andrew was inside the medical lab, tampering with some machinery when he turned around and saw the worried look in our eyes. “What is it?”

“There was an explosion,” I explained, seeing that everyone else was speechless. “Petyr’s got something in his rib.”

“Something?” he asked curiously, as he headed to the first hospital bed closest to him. ‘Let me see?”

“The military droid exploded,” Richards said in a deep tone of voice. “Pete was closest to the blast.”

“All of you are injured?” he asked, as those azure blue eyes scanned over us. I covered the torn fabric over my chest, knowing the metal shards cut my skin but it was nothing serious. _It will leave scars,_ I mused, as my fingers grazed the trails running down my chest. “I see Petyr is the worst.”

Doctor Wong stretched out his body across the hospital bed. She took out a rectangular box and unraveled it until it became glasses for her to scan Petyr’s body. “He’s going to lose a lot of blood,” she related.

“We can’t leave that thing in there,” Andrews observed. “This is going to be tricky.”

“Are equipment is limited,” she added. “We still needed a few more days until everything is set up.”

The engines of the shuttle began to blare, and I moved over to an open window where the last of the black shirts began to run towards the shuttle. _We’re leaving,_ I realized, as the droids began to close in around us.

“This is Captain Ali,” a voice said through the overhead speakers. “Please take all necessary precautions. We are leaving Plegethon, but it will not be without a fight.”

“They are firing on us,” Richards observed, as he took a place by my side. “With all the black shirts gone there is nothing holding them back.”

“There is so many of them,” I uttered, as my eyes scanned the mini droids that were flying in the air and circling around our ship. There was also the dog-like ones that were sprinting towards the metal hanger that was still down to collect the last few black shirts. The androids was the most worrisome of them all, they were just standing in a straight row- watching us.

“I got a bad feeling about this,” Richards groaned, and turned his head to look at me. “They are too smart for my liking.”

“Jane,” I sneered, and turned my head to look back at Petyr’s unconscious state. “What does she have planned for us?”

“She wants Petyr.”

I turned my gaze back to Richards and asked, “But what does she want him for?”

“To complete their mission,” he proposed. “They always worked best together.”

The metal plank went up, but we saw one of the dog-like creatures make it on board just in time. “Now, we’re in trouble,” Richards muttered, and stormed away from me. “I have to warn Captain Ali,” he shouted, as he made his way out the door.

“How is he?” I asked, my voice tremoring with fear as I looked down at Petyr’s sickly face. His face was smeared over with his own blood, the skin across his chest and stomach was cut but it was the large metal shard deep into his abdomen that scared me most of all.

“He’ll be just fine,” Doctor Wong assured me in a motherly tone.

Andrew leaned over and whispered something into their ears, and then they exchanged worried looks. “You will have to be the one to do it,” he said in a leveled voice. “I’m too injured,” he explained, and lifted up his arm to show how painful it was to do so.

“You know I can’t,” she reminded him. “I am only a consultant. It is you who perform the surgery.”

“I can’t!” he shrielled. “Don’t you think I want too.”

“I don’t understand,” I interjected. “Doctor Wong can’t you do it?”

“Theoretically, yes,” she answered while her eyes averted to the floor. “In practice...”

“Doctor Wong hasn’t performed anything like this in over fifteen years.”

“I lost my medical licence,” she explained. “I’m technically not even a doctor.”

“I don’t care,” I shot out. “Just do anything you can to save Petyr!”

The sound of the shuttle lifting into the air, made a low droning sound throughout the ship. The whizzing sound of the small bird-like droids could be heard flying around _Ares_ as they tried to penetrate our protective shields. I looked away from the window and turned my head back to Doctor Wong tying up her hair in front of the sink. She began to wash her hand timidly, her hand trembling slightly as she lifted up a towel to dry off her hands.

“Andrew, can’t you-”

“I only wish I could,” he murmured, and went over to the sink to whisper something in Doctor Wong’s ear.

“I’m so worried,” Mariam confessed, after she leaned off the wall that was next to the window. “Theodore must be looking for me, but I have to stay with Pete for a little while longer.” She let out a long exhale and added, “I can’t believe this is happening.”

The sound of shredding material made our heads turn towards the unconscious patient. Doctor Wong was tearing off the last of his shirt while Andrew as cutting down the seams of his pants. “I think there is something attached to his knee,” Andrew noted, and cut down the length of his pants until his entire right leg was revealed. “Look at that,” he said with surprise. “I forgot we gave that to him.”

“I thought he vowed never to use it.”

Mariam went over to the hospital bed and ran her fingers down the metal leg brace that was injected into his leg. “This is the closest thing to mechanical implants,” she noted, and let her hands wander over Petyr’s leg where the metal cage surrounded his knee. “He must have been desperate.” She looked over her shoulder and asked, “Sansa, when was the last time you saw him with a cane?”

“After we…” I paused, and blushed realizing what I was about to say. “The last time we were in his quarters together.”

“Where did he go after that?”

“Security department to see Kong.”

“Poor Kong,” Andrews muttered. “I saw him on the way to _Ares_.” His face fell a little, those blue eyes were shut as he uttered, “He didn’t make it.”

“And that- that was the last time?” Mariam stuttered, as she tried to control her emotions. “That you saw him with his cane?”

“Yeah, after that was…” I paused, and found myself smiling at the remembrance of it. “The hospital wing.”

“Then he must have needed it,” she replied. “Petyr refuses to use anything of this kind, even if I was the one who built it for him.”

“You mean this thing allows him to walk”

“Walk, run, just about anything.” Her hand trailed along the metal material again, a small smile spread across her face as she looked down at Petyr. “It was _my_ gift to him.”

“It’s cutting off his blood circulation,” Doctor Wong said matter of factly. “I’ll have to remove that first.”

We all watched her in silence, as she carefully removed the implantation, blood ozzing out of his open wounds as she removed each one carefully. “He didn’t put it on right,” she observed. “It shouldn't be as messy as this.”

“He was in a hurry,” Mariam observed. “He wanted to find Sansa.”

“He could have killed himself,” Doctor Wong said with a shake of her head. “One wrong injection and that would have been the end of him.”

“I’ll take it,” Andrew suggested, once the brace was removed completely. “I’ll dispose of it, so he won’t be tempted to use it again.”

“Remember when I made him a cane,” Mariam laughed, as she leaned against the hospital bed next to Petyr’s head. “Back when we were in the caves.”

“Carved it out of that bark,” Doctor Wong remembered. “We never did figure out what that material was.”

“No,” she said with a sad smile. “But it came in handy.”

“Petyr is lucky to have friends like us.”

“Yes,” Mariam replied, and turned her gaze to me. “He’s lucky to have you too.”

“He’s always telling me that,” I answered her, and lifted up his blood smeared hand to hold it in my own.

Doctor Wong dressed up the wounds in his knee and was now ready to tackle the metal shard still protruding out of his right rib. “Mariam and Sansa if you don’t like the sight of blood you might want to leave.”

“I’m staying,” I answered her with unswavering resolve.

“Me too.”

Andrew threw his arm around the doctor and whispered, “You got this.”

The ship rocked gently as it lifted into the air, and I looked out the window to realize the shuttle had already escaped the hanger. “We’re free,” I said with surprise, but the look Mariam gave me quickly changed my mind.

“They let us go,” she told me. “I don’t know why, but they did.”

“Let’s just concentrate on what’s in front of us,” Doctor Wong said in a condescending tone.

The ship rocked again, and I fell into the hospital bed much to Doctor Wong’s dismay. “All of you strap up! I can’t do this when you are falling all over the place.”

“Shouldn’t we wait till we are out of Plegethon’s atmosphere?” Andrews asked, as he pulled out metal chairs from the wall.

“We don’t have time.”

“Have a seat ladies,” Andrews quietly said, before he took his place on the other side of the hospital bed. “You could make it worse,” he reasoned to the trembling Doctor. “You are already nervous enough.”

“I can do this!”

“I know you can,” he assured her, as he gribbed the sides of the table as the shuttle rocked against the approaching atmosphere where the winds were violently knocking at the sides of the ship. “But wait ten more minutes.”

“Petyr might not have ten more minutes,” she pointed out.

“As long as that thing is in there we are fine,” he countered. “Have a seat, Diana, and strap yourself up. I have a feeling this is going to be a bumpy ride.”

She threw down her medical gloves and followed him to the two empty seats beside Mariam. I looked over at the hospital bed, seeing the cloth straps that tied Petyr up to the medical bed; his pale skin glistened in the bright fluorescent lights, but it was the blood pooled all over the table that made me anxious. _I don’t think he is going to make it._

“He loves you very much,” Mariam suddenly said, her brown eyes softened as she looked up at me.

“And I love him.”

“I know,” she hushed, and blinked slowly as she continued to look at me.

“He’s going to make it,” I said with determination, and made sure it was loud enough for Doctor Wong to hear.

“He will,” she said with a sad smile. “Petyr’s a fighter.”

The shuttle rocked from the whirlwind outside, it was the worst I had ever experienced, but soon the raging storm outside died down and then all I could see was the blackness of space just outside our window and the stars- those stars that I have grown to love after so long an absence.

“We made it!” Andrews exclaimed, and unbuckled his seatbelt so we could run to the window. “Two and half-years I was stranded on that planet, and look at me now? Free!”

We laughed at him as he did a little happy dance, and soon joined him so we could look out the window as well. “The first thing I’m doing once we get to the abandoned base it to contact my sister,” Doctor Wong mused. “I have missed her very much.”

“Theodore and I want to find a place to live,” Mariam said in a cheerful tone of voice. “We’ve been wanting to start a family together for ages.”

“I’m going to medical school,” Andrews proudly said. “Finally get a licence, so I can practice it officially.”

“I’m…” I paused and turned away from the window to look at Petyr. “I’m going to find a place to share with Petyr.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Andrew cooed, and hugged me with excitement. “Do you think he will ask the big question?”

“The big-”

“Will you marry me?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I-”

“Sansa,” Petyr droned in a tired voice, and that made us all run to the hospital bed and surround him.

I took both of his hands in my own and leaned over the bed before I uttered, “I’m right here.”

“My sweet, Sansa,” he murmured, and gave me that rare smile that was only ever intended for me.

“Petyr, we are safe,” I assured him. “And we are going to make you better.”

“I am happy to hear that,” he sighed, while the lids of his eyes blinked up slowly at me.

“Petyr?” I said with some concern. “Are you alright?”

“I’m…” he winced a bit, the lines around his mouth crinkled as he looked up me with pain.

“We have to remove it,” Doctor Wong said, and brushed us all aside so she could perform the operation.

“Don’t go,” Petyr entreated, once he saw me inch away from the bed. “Stay with me.”

I kissed the side of his cheek, watching those grey-green eyes alight with pleasure. “I’ll stay with you, Petyr,” I whispered right next to his ear. “Always,” I promised, before I leaned in to kiss his lips deeply.

“Sansa,” Doctor Wong chided, after she cleared his throat. “You are going to have to do that another time.”

Petyr chuckled low under his breath, but it brought him pain for he laid a hand over his wound and groaned aloud.

The hospital door flew open and Richards stepped into the room with an air of urgency. “I came just in time,” he noted, as he made his way into the room. “How are you feeling, Pete?”

“I’ve been better.”

“Nasty wound.”

“That was the point of self-destruction,” he coughed, making the blood smear all over his face as he covered his mouth.

“I don’t understand what happened?”

“The Hound set off the self-destruct mode once he tore of the droid’s head.”

“Ahhhh,” Richards said painfully, and rested the palm of his hand over his open wound. “Well, it had its revenge, didn’t it?” Richards stood next to me now, trying to stay out of the way of Doctor Wong’s surgical procedures. “We lost the head, you know?”

“I believe its inside me,” Petyr gibbed, and pointed to the metal piece sticking out of his abdomen. “Would you care to look at it?”

“Funny.” Richards lips contorted sideways, displaying his obvious discomfort at the horrific sight. “If it helps one of your machines snuck aboard the shuttle. It sort of looks like a dog, but not… I don’t know how to explain it.”

“A542,” Petyr quipped. He paused to cough again, groaning as the pain severed across his chest. “Not meant for combat but to sneak around, scope out an area and map it out for future reference. If its on board the ship we’re in trouble.”

“With its connection to Vasken it can already be sending out the floor plan of the ship,” Mariam added.

“Who knows what Vasken will do with it?” Petyr said in a weak voice. “Or Jane?”

“Jane,” I echoed, and felt my eyes darkening as I looked away from Petyr.

“How did we escape anyways?” Petyr asked after a lengthily pause. “The odds were against us.”

“We fought back hard,” Richards replied.

Mariam openly disagreed with Richards, her small figure was dwarfed in comparison to _Ares_ former captain. “She let us go. They could have easily destroyed us with one blast.”

“But why?” I asked, finally taking part in the conversation.

Petyr raised his bloody hand at me and uttered, “That is the right question! What can she…” he paused to cough again, but this time it sounded terrible to hear. He was gasping for air, a thing that made all of us look at him worriedly.

“Take it easy, man,” Richards pleaded as he looked down at his friend.

“I cleaned the area, it is now time to take it out,” Doctor Wong exclaimed, before she asked us all to take a step back.

“Richards make sure you capture that thing on board,” Petyr said in a raspy voice, the sound coming from the back of his throat.

“We already did.” He applied more pressure to the wound in his shoulder as he contemplated, “We locked him up in one of those prison’s. The same one that held Jamie Lannister not to long ago.”

Petyr averted his eyes to me, wondering how I would respond to the news. _What’s done is done,_ I mused, not wanting the image of Jamie’s bloody body sprawled across the prison floor to taint this moment. “I’ll take a look at it once I’m all patched up,” Petyr concluded. “Maybe we can find something interesting there.”

“I’ll help you,” Mariam piped up. “Just like old times.”

“Old times,” Petyr repeated with a slight nod of the head. He cleared his throat and closed his eyes for a moment before he opened it again to look at me. “Sansa, you’re quiet.”

“I’m worried,” I confessed, and wished I could reach over to touch him but I couldn’t get in the way of Doctor Wong’s probing.

“I’ll be fine,” he whispered, his voice barely coming out of his mouth. “I’ll take you home, just like I promised.”

“I know.”

“Well get a place… just like in the holo deck.”

“I’d like that,” I whispered, liking the way his face lit up when I uttered it.

He tilted his head to the side, ignoring the feverish hands crossing over his abdomen as Doctor Wong was preparing to remove the object. “Do you remember the Crystal Caves?” Petyr hushed. “The way the lights danced all around us?”

“I do.”

“I was so happy that day,” he mused, the lids of his eyes closing from drowsiness. “These past few days have made all the difference for me.” He smiled to himself, as a thought suddenly seized him. “Do you remember the first time we met?”

“In the hospital wing when I was being put to sleep,” I teased.

“I meant officially,” he laughed, but the laugh soon turned into a sickly cough.

“Yes, I remember,” I whispered, once his haggard coughs died away. “I couldn’t stop looking at you.”

“I thought you were the most… beautiful thing I have ever seen.”

“More beautiful than Jane,” I gibed.

“Infinitely more,” he drawled, and the steady gaze Petyr gave me told me that he meant every word of it.

“It’s time,” Doctor Wong warned, and waited for Petyr to direct his gaze to her before she began to surgically remove the eminent piece of metal in his frame. Petyr began to scream at the top of his lungs as she pulled it out of him, the painful sound escaping him almost brought a tear from my eyes. I found myself gravitating towards him and took his blood-stained hand in my own. His grip was tight, pratically strangling my delicate hand but I would not leave him.

“Sansa,” he wailed, through clenched teeth and banged the back of his head into the bed with pain.

Doctor Wong made a shocked sound as she laid the metal slab on a portable desk beside him. “Andrew, come look at this!” she yelled, as she stuck her hands into Petyr’s wound again. “It’s collapsing.”

“We need the Azuz,” Andrew panicked. “It’s still charging, it won’t be ready for-”

“Give me anything!”

“Try this,” he said, and handed her some strange looking device which she applied over the wound.

“He’s losing too much blood,” she muttered. “His ribcage is collapsing.”

Petyr began to wail at the top of his lungs, as Doctor Wong and Andrew did everything they could to repair the damage. I felt Mariam wrap her arms around me and held me close as I trembled under Petyr’s awesome grip.

“You can do this!” Richards cried, and leaned into the two of us for extra support.

Doctor Wong applied some technical thing around his open wound, trying to seal it up as fast as she could. “I need you to breath, Petyr.”

“Sansa,” Petyr moaned, through teary eyes. “Sansa?”

“I’m right here.”

“Promise me something.”

“Anything.”

His breaths were laboured as he blinked at me, those eyes that were once so clear now seemed dim and haunted. “Take my place and help fight against Vasken. Don’t let them win.”

“I will,” I assured him. “But I will be doing it by your side.”

Doctor Wong gave a long sigh as the wound finally began to sealed up, the artificial skin seemed to be clinging to his body at last. “I think we made it,” Andrews breathed, and let out a loud exhale once the machinery started to work on its own accord.

“You did it, Pete,” Mariam soothingly said, and patted his chest with a friendly gesture. “I knew you would.”

He gave her a lop-sided grin, but his hand suddenly slipped out of mine as he pressed both down on the wound in agony. “Diana,” he shrilled, and looked at her manically.

“Oh no,” she wailed, and turned off the machine once she saw what it had done to him. The artificial skin was tearing apart at the seams and the blood was gushing out of him at an alarming rate.

“I can’t breathe,” Petyr muttered, and tried to take large gasps of air. “Diana, I can’t breathe.”

“Andrew!” Doctor Wong screamed. “What’s going on?”

“The machine isn’t working,” he panicked, as he looked at the rectangular object from all angles. “I don’t understand-”

“Diana,” Petyr wheezed, as his abdomen seemed to cave in and the blood ran down his stomach.

“Save him!” I cried out in anger. “Do something!”

“Give him the oxygen mask,” she instructed, and Andrews handed her a spare one left in a drawer. “I just need more time.”

Petyr moaned into the mask, and the coughs that escaped him sounded harrowing. “Try this,” Andrew suggested, as he handed her a cylinder object. “That might seal up the wound.”

“It’s too large,” she argued. “And much to deep for this.”

“That metal piece is huge,” Richards observed, as he reached over and took the object in his large hand. “And sharp.”

“And poisonous,” Mariam stated, as she reached for the metal object. “I know this material very well.”

“Lethium,” Petyr breathed into his mask. “How very fitting…”

“What does he mean by that?”

“That the very thing he didn’t want to use should kill him,” Mariam stated, and dropped the hardened material with sudden anger. “I told you not to use it, Petyr.”

“I had no choice,” he breathed through his mask. “I created these things, but it was the heart of man that made them into such dangerous weapons.”

“Richards you should get that wound cleaned up as soon as possible.” She turned her dark brown eyes at me, and surmised, “You too, Sansa.”

I took a step closer to the bed and leaned in to hold Petyr’s hand. “What about him?” I said in barely a breath.

“There’s no chance for me now, sweetling.”

“There is,” I bitterly said. “Your just not trying.”

“I’d do anything just to spend a few more hours with you,” he said in a raspy voice, and lifted his hand into the air to tear off his mask. “I only wish I had more… but even a whole lifetime wouldn’t have been enough.”

“Petyr, you can’t go,” I chided, and brought his hand to my chest. “You can’t!”

“It’s too late,” he said with a sad smile. “Oh, my sweet creature,” he murmured. “How cruel that I should be torn from you now.”

“You’re going to stay with me.” I swallowed hard and shook my head at him trying to fight back the tears.

“Sansa, I-”

“Don’t leave me,” I begged.

“I don’t want too,” he wailed. “But sometimes things just don’t work out the way you want it too.”

“No,” I argued. “I came into your life for a reason. I _met_ you for a reason!”

He pursed his lips as he stared up at me. “Perhaps, we will never know why…”

There was an awful silence as I watched him try to catch his breath, a fitful cough came over him and blood started to spew from his mouth.

“It’s almost time,” Mariam mournfully said. “The poison is spreading.”

I leaned against the bed, resting my elbows next to his side so I could be as close to him as possible. “You said it was fate that made us come together,” I reminded him.

“I know what I said,” he wheezed.

“Then you have to stay.”

“Sansa,” he said in a hazy voice. He cleared his throat some more, trying to regain that once deep sonorous voice he had not so very long ago.

I leaned in to kiss him, cutting off any words he may have said. His lips were bloody, but I kissed him all the same letting it last until he had to break away to catch his breath. His hand lifted to cup the side of my cheek, so he could lovingly gaze at me. “I want you to take this ring,” he suddenly said, and pulled off the deep rubious coloured ring so he could place it into the palm of my hand. “I remember how you looked at it when we first met.” He sniffled and wiped at his mouth before he added, “I want you to have it… wear it.”

“Thank you, Petyr.”

“I chose you to be my partner,” he mused. “But in time I wanted you to be my life partner as well.”

I kissed him fervently, knowing what he was trying to say. _He wanted to marry me,_ I happily thought, and rubbed my fingers along his freshly shaven face with ardor fervour. “I would have accepted you,” I assured him, and slid the golden band over my ring finger to show him my words were true.

“You know how much I care for you, don’t you?” he said in a weak voice.

“I do.” I kissed the side of his cheek and smoothed down his grey temples as I answered him, “And I feel the same way about you.”

“We never could say it, could we?” he laughed, and that seemed to bring him only more pain. His eyes closed, and his head sagged to the side. He tried to open his eyes and when he did he saw the galaxy glimmering past the open window. “I never thought I would see that again,” he mused, and slowly inclined his head to the crowd of friends hovering over him. “Thank you,” he said to all of us, and started to close his eyes again serenely.

“Petyr,” I cried, and shook him to rouse him out of that terrifying state. “Don’t go.”

“Sansa, sweetling,” he hushed, and blinked open his eyes to look at me for one last time. “I love you…”

“And I love you.”

“I will _always_ love you,” he promised. He took one last breath as he looked at me, and let it out slowly as he muttered, “To the stars and back.”

 


	24. Fall Back into Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa is in grief over Petyr's death. They say that love is stronger than death, but can this old saying be true? When Ares intercepts a destroyed shuttlecraft Sansa is about to find out if this old saying has some merit after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Insp:
> 
> Beach House- Space Song
> 
> This has been on my playlist from the very beginning. I think this song goes well with the surprise ending, so go ahead and listen to it once you get to the Author's Notes at the end of this chapter.

**_Three weeks later…_ **

“Sansa, you might want to come see this,” Mariam said, as she walked through Petyr’s office door. She noticed my sullen expression, the way I leaned over his seat staring at a photograph of him in the Vasken academy days. She sucked in her cheeks nervously, knowing exactly where my thoughts were turning too. “Sansa?” she quietly said, her dark brown eyes searching the blankness of my face.

“Yes, what is it?” I sighed and moved the picture frame back where it belonged on the corner of his desk.

“I’m sure you noticed by now that our engines have stopped.”

I slid my fingers through my hair and tied it behind my back, not caring about what she or anyone else had to say at the moment. “I’m sure Captain Ali wouldn’t have done it unless it was important.”

“We found something.”

“And?”

“A shuttle I’ve never seen before is dead in space. Engines are completely gone, but luckily for us we found there are life signs on board.”

“And you intend to rescue them?” I asked with indifference.

She took a few steps forwards until she stood on the other side of Petyr’s desk. Her hand reached for the picture frame I was looking at earlier and turned it in her direction. She looked at the photograph with a certain fondness. “Sansa, dear. You are not the only one who misses him.”

I bit down on my inner cheek and stared at her with uncontrollable hatred. “You came here for a reason,” I reminded her. “I suggest you tell me what that is.”

“Captain Ali wants to send a search party on board.”

“Why should we risk it?”

“Because it is the humane thing to do,” she answered me with a look of concern. “Or have you gone so cold?”

I snatched the picture frame out of her hand, feeling she was not worthy to look at that face that I had grown to love- and lost. “It could be a trap,” I proposed with a wooden voice. “It could be Vasken.”

“I don’t think so, Sansa. Not this time.”

“Well, everyone seems to have made up their mind so why not go aboard.” I raised myself from my seat before I added, “I think you should join the search party, Mariam.”

She walked backwards with surprise. “Me?”

“Yes, you seem so willing-”

“That is not a part of my job description,” she argued.

“It is now,” I spitefully said, and waved my hand as though I dismissed her.

“Sansa!” she yelled, once I walked away from her. “Be realistic-”

“I am,” I coldly said. “It you who is being-”

“I understand you are still upset about Petyr. We all are,” she pointed out. “But my job is to finish Petyr’s work and analyse the only captured Vasken robot aboard this ship.”

“Three weeks you have been picking that thing apart and so far you’ve found _nothing!_ ”

“I am doing the best I can,” she hissed, and moved away from the desk to approach me. “But I am _not_ Petyr.”

I looked at her, the pain I was holding back could clearly be seen in my pale blue eyes. “No,” I droned. “You are not him.” I walked past her now, barely bumping into her as I made my way to the door. “You are to join them, Mariam. My decision is _final._ ”

Petyr’s office door closed with a soft swish, and I found myself idly walking down the long grey corridors to get to the back of the ship. The hallway was full of people, but I never felt so alone in my life. Three hundred and fourty-nine people managed to make it onto the ship in time; those who were recorded as deceased were all victims of Vasken’s military androids or attack robots. _Petyr’s on that list,_ I mused, as I approached an elevator and clicked on a button for it to move up to my level.

I was leaning against the wall, staring out to the farthest ends of the corridor when I heard his voice, “Sansa,” a gentle whisper that made me look around but amongst the crowd of people he wasn’t there. I sighed, knowing I have had this feeling before. The memory of him, his voice, his very presence still stamped into my own essence. I couldn’t even try to forget him, even if I tried.

The doors opened and a few people nodded their head at me in respect, knowing I was in top rank in Elisium.  _It’s all down to me now,_ I noted, as they looked at my youthfulness and innocents with curiosity. I never wanted to be the head of Elisium, but I made a promise to Petyr and I intended to keep it. The door was just about to close when Mariam stuck her hand through the elevator and propped it open with her forearms.

“Sansa,” she grudgingly said as she took her place beside me. The elevator door sealed itself in front of us and an awkward silence descended upon us as the elevator took its time going to the third level. The door slid open to my relief and I didn’t hesistate to slip out the crack and make my way down the corridor as fast as I could. “Sansa! Wait!” she called after me, her hand grabbing my arm to pull me around. “I think there is a way we can stop Vasken. The A542 model is only intended for scanning the architectural structures of our enemy bases. It is not intended for military purposes, though it has some level of self-defence if it is attacked-”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I need a different one,” she shot out. “A more advanced model. Whatever Jane may have planted into the NEXT generation of Vasken model’s is lost to me. I can’t find anything she may have encoded into the devices.”

“So, your saying Petyr was wrong?”

“No,” she moaned. “Petyr was probably right about this, but I can’t find any proof to back up his theory.” She took a step into my space and hushed, “I need you to get me an advanced model.”

“And how do you propose I do that?”

She looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening before she answered me, “Have Vasken find us?”

“And put our crew in jeopardy!” I exclaimed. “Or have you forgotten the last time someone tried to contact Vasken. Petyr put a bullet in his head, just in case it slipped your mind.”

“I-need-one,” she drawled, her eyes so wide it made her look like a mad scientist.

“No,” I quipped, and turned to leave just in case she said something even more absurd.

“Then let me go after them,” she pleaded. “Once we get to the abandoned base, let me go to Vasken itself and-”

“That’s suicide.”

“It’s reckless, but it may be the only way. They will let me back in without hesitation,” she related with a calm air. “They know how valuable I am to them.”

“They know you have a connection with Petyr,” I pointed out. “They will treat you the same as him.”

“It’s a risk,” she said as she strung her fingers through her mousy hair. “But I’m willing to take it.”

“ _Jane_ will stop you,” I said in a low tone of voice.

“She’ll try,” she breathed, and I saw a sudden fiery spirit behind her dark eyes. “But I want to take her down just as much as you.”

“Then I’m coming with you,” I said, and offered out my hand for her to shake. “We’ll take her down together.”

She clamped her hand in mine, squeezing it tightly as she murmured, “Agreed.”

“You better get ready to go on that ship,” I remarked, once my hand dropped to my side again. “Maybe you’ll see something that belongs to Vasken that won’t have to be brought on board.”

“Only three life signs are recorded on that ship,” she noted. “It’s very small, enough to go undetected by scanners.”

“How come we spotted them?” I asked with uneasiness, noticing the worrisome lines spreading across Mariam’s face.

“Because they were in our direct path to the Vasken’s abandoned base.” She looked over her shoulder, after we saw a crowd of people spilling out of the elevators to go back to their quarters. “I better go,” she noted, and offered me her usual sad little smile before she turned to go.

* * *

I was looking out my bedroom window, noticing the fusion pink clouds swirling in the darkness as the stars twinkled in its expansiveness. There was a time when I would have described this sight as truly beautiful, but now all I felt was a numbness- an emptiness that could never be filled. _It’s like a part of_ _me is missing,_ I mused, and turned away from the window to sit at the edge of my bed. The folder Petyr had left for me was still half-tucked away under my pillow; inside were specific details on how Elisium should be run, and what he intended for the people once we arrived at the abandoned base. I stretched behind me and picked the document, seeing up the final few words printed at the bottom in his own neat handwriting: “When the people are ready for a new life that I have imagined for them, I hope you’ll be there to see it.”

 _Why must this burden fall on me,_ I wondered, and placed the sheet back in the folder where it belonged. I turned my gaze back to the window, admiring the pale purple swirls collecting in the center of the fushion pink lights. _I will always love you… to the stars and back._

I stood up suddenly, hating the remembrance of him- the love I had, no still have for this man who so quietly died in my arms only a few weeks ago. I punished the bed underneath me with my fists, trying to supress the rage that lived inside of me. It was soft chime of the intercom that saved the bed from further destruction. I rushed to the door and pressed the small silver button before I asked who it was.

“Richards,” rang through my speakers, and I promptly opened the door to let him in.

“Hey Sansa,” he said with concern, after he took in the redness of my face.

“Hey,” I replied, and let go of the door so I could make my way back to my bed.

“I noticed you weren’t at the meeting today.”

“I wasn’t feeling so well,” I lied. I sat down on the bed and smoothed down the ruffled sheets for him to join me.

“The search party just got back from the ship.”

“That’s great,” I voiced without any true feeling.

“There was nothing that belonged to Vasken there.” He sat down beside me, noticing the messiness of my room for the first time with a look of surprise. “Actually, there was nothing of recognition onboard the ship.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the technology… the design of the ship,” he paused as if he was trembling on rocky ground. “Everything was backwards… different somehow.”

“As long as they are not from Vasken I’m fine," I murmured. "They still think I’m dead and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Sansa,” Richards said with a fearful voice. “There are somethings in life that just don’t make sense, no matter how hard you try.” He noticed the bewildered expression that suddenly came across my face and reached for my hand in a consoling manner. “You know Pete… he’s one of a kind, right?”

“Yeah.”

“He loved you, more than anything in the world.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Maybe he loved you more than you ever realized.”

“Richards,” I warned, noticing the hesitation in his voice.

“Enough for him to cross an entire galaxy to find you.”

“Richards,” I echoed.

“A parallel one to be exact.” I stood up now, and let out a sharp exhale once he nodded his head at me to say it was true. “He’s here on board this ship.”

I let go of his hand and flew out the door with Richards fast at my heels. He begged me to stop but I wouldn’t hear of it, slamming down on the elevator button for it to open. “Sansa,” Richards remonstrated, after he leaned his hand against the wall to try and catch his breath. “It isn’t what you think?”

“You said he is _here._ ”

“Yes, but he’s not _your_ Petyr!”

I laid a hand against his chest while the other covered my mouth. I shook my head at him in shock, trying to comprehend everything he said. “What are you trying to say?”

“He doesn’t know who you are,” he explained. “He doesn’t know anyone. He hasn’t even heard of Vasken before.”

“So, it isn’t anything like _my_ Petyr,” I concluded, and found myself stepping into Richards space so I could hug him for some much-needed comfort. The elevator door chimed open, and Petyr’s old friend led me into the empty elevator seeing that I wasn’t able to move on my own anymore.

“He might know Mariam though,” he whispered, and lifted my head so I could look at him clearly. “But we only think that because she’s from his universe.” He smiled softly at me once he took in that puzzled expression again. “She came into ours when she was only seven years old. She was basically a science rat until she reached the age of eighteen. She met Petyr shortly afterwards at Vasken academy, but it’s always been a secret between the two.  Mariam never wanted anyone else to know.”  

“I see.”

“She downstairs already speaking to him,” Richards cautiously said. “She won’t mention you though.”

“Okay,” I mouthed, unable to articulate anything that was more than one word.

The door opened and Richards led me by my forearm down to Elisium’s head office where we usually conducted our meetings. We passed the normal rooms, and took me down a few steps until we reached a corridor that overlooked the garden area. It was there that he placed me right in front of the window and pointed to a shady bower where bleeding hearts were overgrowing next to a small wooden bench. It was there that I saw the back of Petyr’s head as he stood in front of the bench, engaging in a conversation with Mariam who was now sitting at the very edge of the seat with the leaves of a lilac tree in the palm of her hand. They seemed to be getting a long quite well, Petyr every so often leaned his left leg on the corner of the bench to lean into Mariam’s space further.

“His leg is fine,” Richards observed, and turned his gaze to me. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” I lied. “Its just odd seeing him, you know?”

“There ship somehow winded up here a few days ago. A freak accident. The damage to the ship is undescribed, it’s a miracle Petyr and his two crewmen survived.”

“You and your miracles,” I sneered, and that earned me a full-bellied laugh from Richards. “You sound just like Pete.”

“Thanks.” I turned my gaze back to the Petyr- no that wasn’t right, could I still refer to him as Petyr? _He’s not my Petyr,_ I reminded myself, but the way he pulled back his long moppy hair told me it was. “He doesn’t have a beard, does he?”

“No.”

“Good.”

“This one is far more laid back. He hasn’t experienced the horrors of the cave. He’s never even dealt with Artificial Intelligence before.”

“Then what does he do?”

“Humph,” Richards grunted, and crossed his arms with disdain. “From what I can gather he’s a smuggler. The worst kind of person to put aboard this ship. His companions are nothing but trouble as well. I’ll have our security keep an eye on them.”

“Sounds reasonable.” My attention was soon diverted to Mariam’s rising figure, the way she blushed as she covered her cheeks after something Petyr had said. “They are getting along well.”

“She’s married, Sansa,” he reminded me. “There is nothing to worry about.”

“So, everyone keeps telling me, including Jon.”

“Just be happy he’s on that ship,” Richards pointed out. “The black shirts weren’t exactly pleased when Petyr order them to take Jon aboard _Ares_.”

“I know,” I laughed, and nudged him teasingly. “What can I say Petyr is always trying to please me. I’m irresistible."

“To our Pete,” he mused. “But what about him?”

Petyr turned around now, and his face could clearly be perceived by me without him knowing it. I touched the golden band around my ring finger as I stared into the face that I have missed so very much. I let out an audible shudder and placed my hand to my mouth as I looked at his youthful face; his hair was dark and full, long bushy locks that needed to be tamed. He wore a moustache that put a whimsical smile to my face, and a long dark sleeved dress shirt with a red tie half-hazzardly tied around his neck. _He looks like trouble,_ I thought, but that only made me want him more.

“Odd that we should find him, huh?” Richards piped up, once Petyr started to walk over the steel bridge that would lead him out of the garden.

“Fate,” I answered him.

“The connection you two have is stronger than I imagined,” Richards mused. “Enough for him to even cross galaxies to find you.”

“But this Petyr doesn’t know me,” I wearily said, after I watched him walk out of the door with Mariam at his side. 

“There’s still time to try again, Sansa.”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?” he scolded. “Girl, you better go downstairs and talk to him.”

“I’d rather kiss him,” I quipped.

“You and I both know you want to do more than that.”

“Yeah,” I confessed, and bit my lip at Richards guilty. “I do.”

“Go get him,” Richards encouraged me, and with a hopeful pat on the back he let me walk away from him in search of the only man I had ever loved- who would follow me to the stars and back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn’t the end, this is just the beginning. There will be a sequel to this story called “To the Moon and Back.” The second part of this series will be come out sometime in early June. For now, here is the synopsis:
> 
> While Sansa is still in grief over Petyr’s death, another man comes into her life and the likeness of her former love is uncanny. Still, looks can only go so far, will Sansa be able to accept this new Petyr from a parallel universe? And will she have what it takes to fight Vasken once and for all?
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this story and thank you for taking the time to read it. Make sure to subscribe so you are notified once the sequel is up. Thanks again for your time and support.
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish


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